Big Time Mystery
by AbbyMasrai
Summary: When a mysterious girl saves one of the members of Big Time Rush, the boys can't help but wonder about who she is and about the strange circumstances that surround her past.  How far will they go to seek the truth?  And at what price?
1. Friday Night Blues

Chapter 1: Friday Night Blues

James POV

I really hate hospitals. I LOATHE them, in fact. Yet, here we were, Big Time Rush at the hospital waiting for someone we don't even know. To a normal person, this may sound odd. Why go to one of the most awful places on the planet for some random stranger? It's simply really; this random person saved my best friend's life.

It started out as a normal Friday. We endured the wrath of Gustavo and his five-hour harmony session and grueling dance practice. You know, same old, same old. We even went out for ice cream afterwards, a Friday night ritual we established the week we started this whole boy band process. It was after we left the ice cream shop that things changed. We were all feeling lazy and decided that we didn't feel like walking all the way to the intersection to cross the street. No, we figured as long as we looked both ways we would be perfectly fine walking across. Well, not all of us thought this was a good idea. As usual, Logan was dubious of our plan. After all, he reasoned, the next intersection was only half a mile away. Better to be safe than sorry, he admonished. And, as usual, the rest of us manage to persuade him that everything will be fine. Boy, how wrong we were.

I don't really know what happened. I was trying to ignore Logan, who was trudging along behind the rest of us, as he continually expressed his disapproval of what we were doing. The next thing I know, I hear a loud honk and turn around to find Logan on the ground. I saw the car speed away, without so much as a hesitation to stop and check on our friend. Bastard. I remember running to Logan, fearing the worst. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I knelt down next to him.

"Logan!" I heard Kendall, who appeared next to me yell.

"Oww…" I heard Logan mumble. I saw him try to get up.

"Dude, don't move!" Carlos screamed, seeming to materialize on my other side.

To my surprise, Logan got up quite easily. "Guys, relax I'm fine. I just have a scrape." He replied, pointing to the nasty gash that was on his forearm. "Where's the girl?"

Kendall and I looked at each other, and by the look in his eyes I could tell he didn't know what Logan was talking about either. "Logie," Kendall began gently, "What girl? Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"

"I'm talking about the girl who pushed me out of the way. Is she okay?"

I was about to suggest that we get his head examined, when we heard a groan.

"Over there!" Carlos whispered, pointing to a figure several feet away trying to get up.

"Oh my God!" Kendall exclaimed, "James, go help her, she shouldn't be moving. Carlos, help Logan to the sidewalk. I'm gonna call 911."

I rushed over to the girl, who managed to stand up. She was hunched over, obviously in pain. "Hey." I said softly, hoping to not spook her, "I'm James. My friend Kendall is calling an ambulance right now. Let me help you."

The girl vigorously shook her head and attempted to hobble away from me. After a grand total of two steps, the girl collapsed. I managed to catch her before she hit the ground and carried her to the sidewalk. As I set her down, I could tell she was about to lose consciousness. Logan scrambled over next to her, and gently started to slap her face.

"We can't let her go to sleep, she might have a concussion." Logan, the aspiring doctor, stated rather shakily, "Come on, stay awake. That's right, good job."

The ambulance arrived shortly after that. The girl managed to stay awake, but just barely. The paramedics insisted on taking Logan to the hospital, just to make sure there interior damage. Kendall called his mom, and she came to pick us up so we could all go to the hospital.

Logan was fine, thank God. They only kept him long enough to assess him. They cleaned the wound on his arm and bandaged it, and said he could leave.

"I…think we should stay for a while," Logan said nervously, once he was discharged. "You know, at least until that girl's parents come for her."

Kendall nodded. "I agree. Can we, mom?"

Mrs. Knight smiled softly at her boys. "Of course. Let me just go pick up Katie."

It had been two hours since we decided to stay. We sat in the waiting room, in the chairs closest to the receptionist so that when the girl's parents came, we could explain to them what happened. None of talked during that whole time; I guess we were too occupied thinking about what happened to say anything.

"You'd think her parents would be here by now," Carlos suddenly said, "I mean, it has been two hours."

"Maybe she's not from around here," Logan offered.

"We did leave the waiting room to get something to eat. Maybe they came in while we were out?" Kendall suggested.

I was getting a little testy. Even though I didn't know the girl, I was genuinely concerned for her well-being. I was the one who held her, let her blood seep into my clothes (thankfully Mama Knight brought me a shirt to change into when she and Katie came back). It was damn scary, like I was seeing this girl dying before my eyes. And there was nothing I could do about it.

"Well, while you guys speculate, I'm going to go ask the receptionist." I stood up and casually walked over the receptionist's desk. "Excuse me, miss?"

The receptionist, a petite Asian woman with sweet brown eyes, looked up. "Yes, may I help you?" she inquired politely.

"Ummm…yes," I started out, realizing I didn't know anything about the girl who saved Logan, "You see…my friend was involved in a hit-and-run. Thankfully, he sustained minor injuries, on account of this girl pushing him out of the way. I know you can't tell me anything about her condition, but I was wondering if you could tell me if her parents arrived? We really wanted to talk to them."

The receptionist sighed sadly, "I'm sorry, but do you realize how many patients we have as a result of a hit-and-run? I don't think I can help you."

"Oh." I replied gloomily, "Well, thank you."

I was about to turn around and tell the others, when I heard a male voice say, "Excuse me, sir…but did you say you were waiting for a girl who was involved in a hit-and-run?" I looked for the source of the voice. My eyes rested upon a balding, pale doctor who looked at me expectantly.

I blinked, "Yes, I did. Why?"

He ignored my question, "What did the girl look like?"

I was slightly taken aback. "Well," I started, "I think she had blonde hair and she was wearing dark clothes. Black, I think? I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention."

"Are you here alone?"

"No, my friends and my guardian are here, too."

"Take me to them,"

I was perplexed by the conversation, but did as he requested. Five pairs of eyes looked up at me curiously.

"Hey guys, this is…" I paused, looking at the doctor.

"Yes, good evening. My name is Dr. Stewart. I am Leigh's doctor."

"I'm sorry, but who's Leigh?" Mrs. Knight asked.

Dr. Stewart lightly hit himself in the forehead, "Pardon me, you all might know her better as the girl who pushed, uhh" he looked down at the file he was holding, "Logan Mitchell, out of the way of an oncoming vehicle."

We all nodded vigorously. "Yeah, how is she?" Logan asked.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you of her condition."

"Oookay, so why are you talking to us?" I huffed. I don't like being rude, but this dude was really trying my patience.

Dr. Stewart sighed, "It's odd. We called the numbers that were allegedly her parents'. Turns out, those numbers actually belong to a couple of restaurants around town."

"So, you're saying that no one is coming for her?" Carlos quietly asked.

Dr. Stewart nodded sadly. I looked over to see Mrs. Knight clutching Katie's shoulders tightly, tears glistening in her eyes.

The doctor cleared his throat, "Legally, I'm not able to tell you anything about her. But, since you guys are the closest thing she has to family right now, I will call you when she wakes up. Normally, we're not supposed to do this, but quite frankly this scenario hasn't occurred before. So, I'll make an exception this time."

"Thank you, Dr. Stewart, that is very kind of you." Mrs. Knight responded. She looked at the boys, "It's 10 pm, why don't we go home and get a good night's sleep? We'll come back when she's awake."

I looked at Kendall and the others, and silently we agreed. Bidding the doctor a good night, we somberly exited the hospital and went home. None of us said much during the car ride home, and when we got back to 2J, we said our goodnights and went straight to bed. I'm not sure how, but as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.

Like it? Hate it? Please let me know how I can improve! I appreciate any and all critiques, but no flames, please.


	2. I Want to be Alone

Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush (though, I would be in Heaven if that were the case!). All I own is the plot and Leigh (to clarify: her name is pronounced like Lee).

So, just a head's up. Leigh will be using Sign Language for a few chapters, so whenever anyone is using Sign Language, their words will be surrounded with one quotation. Ex: 'word'

Now, on with the show!

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Chapter 2: I Want to be Alone

Leigh POV

BEEP….BEEP…

"Uggggh…what the hell is that?" I thought to myself, "I'm trying to sleep."

I attempted to fall back asleep, but eventually the beeping noise won. I opened my eyes and immediately winced, my corneas burning from the brightness.

"Glad to see you're awake, Miss Gibbs," an overly bubbly voice to my right said. I turned over to find a rather large blonde woman in white looking down at me. At this movement, the woman's smile widened, "Let me go get the doctor." With that, she hurried out the door.

I groaned as I tried to sit up. Upon further investigation, I discovered I was in a hospital. "Shit," I muttered. I sat there for a moment, trying to remember what happened. It took a few minutes, but I finally remembered the events that last transpired. "What was I thinking? Why did I get involve? Stupid, stupid me," I reprimanded myself silently.

I was too wrapped up in my internal tirade to notice the doctor enter the room. I nearly jumped out of the bed when he spoke.

"Good morning, Miss Gibbs. I'm Dr. Stewart," he began, "do you know where you are?"

I nodded.

The doctor smiled, "Good. Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Do you think you can handle that?"

I hesitated, deciding on how best to approach this subject. Making a snap decision, I started gesticulating rapidly.

"So you're mute," Dr. Stewart surmised. "Let me go find someone who knows Sign Language." He exited the room, frantically searching for someone who could communicate with me. After what felt like fifteen minutes, the doctor came back with a boy behind him. He had blonde hair and green eyes, and he looked to be about sixteen (my age). He smiled shyly at me.

'Hello, my name is Kendall,' he signed.

I couldn't help but grin a little. I wasn't deaf, surely the doctor told him. It was cute though, so I decided not to mention that nugget of information.

'Hi, I'm Leigh. Where did you learn to sign?' I gestured.

'My cousin is deaf; my family and I learned so we could communicate with him.'

'Cool. Well, it's nice to meet you.'

Kendall was about to respond, when Dr. Stewart interrupted. "So, Miss Gibbs, I need you to tell Kendall what year it is."

'2010'

"Okay," the doctor continued, following protocol, "Do you know what state you're in?"

'California'

"Where are you living?"

'At the Palm Woods.' I noted Kendall's eyes widen at my statement.

"What's your occupation?"

'I'm a freelance photographer.'

"Alright, the last thing we need to talk about is what you remember about the accident."

I nodded and started to sign, 'I was walking down the street when I saw a car barreling down the road toward this boy. I remember running toward him, but memory is a little hazy after that.' I paused as a thought passed through my head. "The boy…is he okay?"

Kendall nodded, 'He's a bit scratched up but is fine.'

Something clicked inside my head, 'Wait, you said your name was Kendall right? I think I remember someone telling me about a Kendall calling the ambulance.'

'Yeah, that was me. We were all really scared when we saw you and-'

The good doctor decided to intervene once again. "Well, what's she signing?" he asked impatiently.

I could tell Kendall resisted the urge to give the doctor an eye roll, but he responded with, "She remembers seeing the car and running to Logan. She also remembers my friend James telling her that I was calling the ambulance. But everything else is fuzzy."

"Ok, good. Her memory is in tact," the doctor replied. He turned to me. "Now, Miss Gibbs, everything is looking good. But you will need someone to take care of you for a couple of days. We tried to call your family, but the numbers we found were not correct. Can we call anyone for you?"

I sighed, and turned to Kendall. 'No, there isn't anyone to call. Two years ago, the court ruled that my parents were freed from their responsibilities of taking care of me. After that, the rest of my family turned their backs on me.'

Kendall gasped, obviously not expecting that to be my response. He relayed what I signed to the doctor. The doctor merely nodded. "Ah, an emancipated minor. I see. Well, we need to find someone to take care of you while you recover. This hospital offers well trained nurses, if you'd like to hire."

I was about to agree when Kendall said, "We can take care of her. My friends and I also live at the Palm Woods, so it would be more convenient"

I froze. No! NO way can I let that happen. They might want to become friends, and then things will get ugly. Someone could get hurt. I gestured wildly, trying to explain that I was fine with hiring a nurse. Kendall frowned slightly at my silent outburst, but then a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"See? She loves the idea! Dontcha, Leigh?"

The doctor studied my foreign gestures, and I guess he decided that it was easier to agree with Kendall because he said, "Okay, great. We'll talk to your mother, Kendall, and have her sign the papers." Kendall followed the doctor out, but not before he turned back to smile smugly at me. I showed him the rude gesture everybody knows in response. He just laughed as he walked out.

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Good news was that I was discharged from the hospital shortly after meeting the doctor. Bad news was I had six people incessantly staring at me as Kendall and some guy named Carlos helped me into the car. Just because I had a few cracked ribs does NOT mean I'm an invalid. I mean, really. The drive to the Palm Woods was a quiet one. I could tell they wanted to ask me a billion questions, especially after the discovery of me not having fingerprints was made. I explained to them it was one of the reasons why I was granted emancipation. This caused an awkward silence, but I was grateful for it. We arrived at the Palm Woods where, much to my chagrin, Kendall and Carlos grabbed my arms, helping me walk. The two others, Logan and James, walked closely behind us.

"So do you know your room number?" the pale one, Logan, asked.

I quickly signed 2K, to which Kendall smiled brightly. "Excellent, you're right next door to us!"

I took all my willpower not to facepalm as the boys cheered.

I handed James my keys as he opened the door for us. I managed to wriggle myself out of two boys' grip and hobbled into the apartment.

"Wait," Logan exclaimed, "I don't know if you should be walking by yourself yet. Let us help you.

I whirled around, holding down the grimace that wanted to appear on my face and signed, 'You really want to know how you can help me?"

Kendall translated and the boys nodded their heads eagerly.

'You can leave me alone.' And to emphasize my point, I shut the door.

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I do have a question for you guys. Would you like to see some of the actual episodes from Big Time Rush? Because I do have a few ideas on how I can incorporate Leigh into them. But I don't want to bore anyone. I really appreciate your input!

If this looks like it'll be a KendallxOC story, it's not. It'll either be JamesxOC or LoganxOC. Haven't decided yet. I think I'll see where the story takes me.

Special thanks goes out to Hikari of Death, for giving me the idea to use Sign Language!

Thanks to all of you who take time to read my story. I hope you are enjoying it so far. Critiques are welcomed, but no flames please.


	3. Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned

Hey guys! Thank you SO much for the views, reviews, and alerts. I am so grateful, and I hope I don't let you down.

Remember, whenever anyone is using Sign Language, their words will be surrounded with one quotation. Ex: 'word'

I guess I should add the disclaimer…I don't own Big Time Rush. =(

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Chapter 3: Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned

Logan POV

I stood there, in front of Leigh's closed door, shocked. What was THAT about?

"What was THAT about?" James screeched, voicing my thought.

"Yeah, that was kind of rude of her. I mean, we were just trying to help," Carlos added, looking forlorn.

"How could she refuse us? I mean, did she SEE my face?" James fumed, doing his jazz hands around his face for emphasis.

Kendall put his hand through his hair. "Guys, calm down. How would you feel if you just woke up in a hospital, with people you have never met learning really personal things about you? Especially with a past like hers." He began to fiddle with the sleeve of his shirt, "And…I MAY have pissed her off a little, before we left the hospital."

"Dude, what did you do?" I asked, curious to see how Kendall could piss off someone he hardly knew.

Kendall chucked nervously, "Well…when the doctor was telling her she needed someone to keep an eye out for her while she recovered, I offered that we could take care of her. She vehemently declined, but the doctor didn't understand her, so I kinda told him she loved the idea."

"YOU WHAT?" Carlos, James, and I yelled simultaneously.

"Well," Kendall replied sheepishly, suddenly taking an interest in the tree next to us, "it makes sense for us to help her, doesn't it? I mean, it is our fault she's hurt. Plus, why would she be so adamant about not wanting us to take care of her? I really think she needs some friends."

James, Carlos, and I nodded. "Well," I began, "she is severely incapacitated; she'll soon realize she needs help. Maybe she'll be less pissed off by then."

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Leigh POV

I didn't hear from the boys for the next few hours. At first, it was really nice. But then, I realized that I neglected to buy groceries before the accident. And my car was on the other side of town. Plus, the pain of my rib was getting worse. Then, to add insult to injury, my stomach started to rumble. I laid on my couch, dejected. "This is what I get for being a bitch," I thought bitterly. "But they need to understand…I can't have friends. It just doesn't work with my lifestyle."

I was still pondering my predicament when I heard a knock on the door. I tried to get up, but I couldn't. I grunted in frustration. Then, I heard my door opened and saw four familiar figures cautiously enter.

"Heeeey, Leigh," Kendall said carefully. Looking at the strained smiles on each guy's face, I deduced they hadn't forgotten about earlier. I felt bad for them so I gave them a small smile, trying to convey that I wasn't going to chew anyone's head off.

It seemed to work, since Logan stepped forward with a plate in one hand and a cup in the other. "We brought you some food," he stated.

I guess my eyes must've widened in excitement since the four boys began to laugh. Now, if I were a normal girl, I would've blushed. But I'm not, so instead I narrowed me eyes menacingly. The boys immediately clammed up. I gave them a cheeky grin as I wolfed down the food. I looked up at the boys, and signed thank you. The boys relaxed and gave me easy smiles in response. Logan took the plate and asked, "Is there anything else we can do for you?"

'I could use some of my pain medicine. It's on the counter.'

Kendall translated and Carlos retrieved the aforementioned item and handed the bottle to me. I accepted it gratefully and downed the pill.

"Well if there isn't anything else, we'll let you rest," James said, "Where's your cell phone? I'll program our numbers so you can text us if you need something."

I handed my phone over to him and he programmed the numbers into it. He handed it back to me, and I nodded in thanks.

The boys waved goodbye as they left. Carlos dawdled, as if making a decision. He turned back to me and yelled, "See ya later, Li-Li!" and bolted out the door before I could glower at him.

Li-Li? I don't do nicknames, and I'll make sure to inform them of that. Yet, I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that the nickname will stick. These boys don't seem to understand how intimidation works. At this rate, I can only hope that as soon as I'm done recovering they'll leave me alone.

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Sorry, I know it's super short! I promise the next few chapters will be much longer. I know it's been kind of stagnant thus far, but it'll start moving forward in the next chapter. I have just finished typing Chapter 9, but I need to severely revise Chapters 6 & 7, so I'm not sure how fast I'll be updating.

Critiques are welcomed, but no flames, please!


	4. The Jig is Up

Hello, all! Thank you for reading this story. It means a lot to me. =)

Oh, and quick question: do you like the longer or shorter chapters? Please let me know!

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush. I merely own Leigh and this plot.

I hope you enjoy the latest installment!

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Chapter 4: The Jig is Up

Leigh POV

It's been two weeks since the accident. As much as I hate to admit it, the boys have actually started to grow on me. They and Kendall's mom and sister have been vigilant and, had I been left to my own devices, I probably would've made things worse. So, begrudgingly, I was indebted to them.

Even though I was pretty much healed, Mrs. Knight insisted that I eat with them from now on. I didn't want to, but then I realized what little money I did make went straight to my rent. In the end, my need to eat conquered my wariness of getting close to these people.

Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn't want to stop seeing everyone. Of course, I'd never admit it. If they realized I actually started to care for them, things could get messy. I just need to be careful, and things should be fine. No one will ever have to know. It's safer for everyone else that it be this way.

I started to see less of the boys since my recovery. I gathered from our exchanges that they were in a boy band that was in the midst of recording its first CD. Though some days they were gone for most of the day, the boys always made time to talk to me, even if it was only around the dinner table. Logan, Carlos, and James were even starting to pick up on reading Sign Language; they only needed Kendall to translate the signs they hadn't seen before. Overall, things were going good. I was beginning to think keeping my secret would be easy. But then, today happened.

Today was the first time I had been outside since arriving at the Palm Woods. It had been two weeks since I had used my camera, and I was getting antsy. I heard that the Palm Woods had a beautiful pool, so I decided that would be my muse for the day. I arrived and saw that James, Logan, and Carlos were out by the pool playing Frisbee. They saw me and waved frantically, to which I responded with a head nod. Accepting my greeting, the three boys resumed their game. I was getting some great action shots of the hustle and bustle of the pool scene. I decided to take some pictures of the Big Time Rush boys playing Frisbee. While snapping my shots, I couldn't help but wonder where Kendall was. Carlos threw the Frisbee toward Logan, but it soared over his head. We all turned and looked at it fly, and that's when I noticed Kendall. Talking to a girl and oblivious to the fact that a Frisbee was careening toward him. I did the only thing I could think of.

"Kendall, duck!" I yelled.

Kendall turned around, trying to detect the source of the voice, and ducked as soon as he saw the Frisbee. Once he got up, his eyes widened as he stared at me, finally putting two and two together.

"Oh shit," I thought as he walked toward me, looking pissed. I looked behind me and saw the three other boys quickly approaching me, their expressions, one of shock. Kendall, who was closer to me than the others, got to my first.

"You….can talk?" he whispered.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah," I croaked. Hey, it's been a while since I last talked; I'm rusty.

Wordlessly, Kendall grabbed my wrist and steered me inside. With the others following closely behind, we entered the elevator. The elevator ride was awkward, to the say the least. Everyone just stared at me, not saying a word. I shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. After what seemed like forever, the elevator doors opened and we made our way to 2J.

As soon as the door closed, Kendall growled, "Explain…now."

The tone of his voice gave me courage. "Explain what?" No way in hell I was going to let these guys push me around.

"Why you would pretend to be mute for two weeks!" Carlos responded, looking betrayed.

"I don't think it's really any of your business."

"How is it not our business? We've taken care of you for the past two weeks, and let you into our home! Then you go and keep this from us. We have a right to know!" James exclaimed, the anger evident by the tone of his voice.

I looked at them pointedly. "Hey, I never asked for you guys to do any of that stuff. I wanted to hire someone, but that didn't work out, did it Kendall?" I threw an extra icy glare toward Kendall. He ducked his head, knowing my words rang true.

Logan, who up til this juncture of time was standing there quietly, spoke up. "What are you trying to hide?"

I snapped my head in his direction. "What makes you think I'm hiding something?"

He sighed. "Look, no one just stops talking because they feel like it. It's almost always the result of some trauma they experienced."

I scowled, trying to hide the fact his words struck a chord. "Maybe I just wanted to be a problematic patient, did you ever think of that?"

"Oh, I doubt that…if that were the case, then as soon as Kendall suggested you stay with us, you would've spoken for yourself. Or, were you lying about not wanting us to look after you? Maybe this was some ploy to get our attention? As an emancipated minor, you probably don't have any money, and hospital bills cost a pretty penny. Were you just acting so we didn't think you were planning on mooching on us?"

The other three boys mouths dropped as they stared at Logan before they slowly turned their heads toward me. Damn, this guy was smart. I had to give him credit for that. I stared at him, hoping to frighten him enough to back down. He returned my stare coolly.

Seeing that I wasn't going to respond, he continued. "We may not know much about you, but from what we do know we can see you've had a rough life. Being on your own for two years? Abused by your parents? That's rough. We're not asking you to divulge your life story to us. But can you at least admit why you feigned muteness? It doesn't even have to be a specific explanation. Just please, let us help you."

I was taken aback by the sincerity I heard in his voice. So taken aback, in fact, that I whispered, "No one can help me."

The boys looked at me sadly. Then James placed his hand my shoulder. I tensed, which earned me more sympathetic glances.

James gripped my shoulder as he said, "We can try. Just let us in. Please."

I looked into each of their eyes. I mainly saw pity in them, which made me inwardly cringe. But I also saw steadfast determination. I knew they wouldn't drop it until I said something. A part of me was actually touched and I even toyed with the idea of telling them everything. But I knew I couldn't. It's too dangerous. So I did the next best thing.

"Ok, you're right. I haven't spoken in a long time because something bad did happen." I tried to not reflect on it as I looked into Logan's eyes. "Please, I don't want to talk about it. Not yet."

He nodded sagely. "Of course."

"Thanks," I replied, grateful that the subject has been dropped for the moment. I glanced down at my watch. "Don't you guys have a recording session? You should probably go."

Carlos checked his cell phone. "Crap, she's right!" We gotta go." What he did next stunned me. He actually hugged me and said, "Bye Li-Li!" and ran out the door.

I looked at the remaining guys. "Is he always that affectionate?"

"Yep," they replied in unison. I appreciated the fact that the others noticed my discomfort from the physical contact and opted to wave goodbye.

I walked back into my apartment and sat on the couch, facing the television. Absentmindedly, I began channel surfing. I couldn't help but think of what just happened. These guys were really getting too close. I know I shouldn't let them in, but there's just something about them. For once in my life, I felt like a normal person. I know it's selfish, but I want the preserve this normalcy for as long as I can.

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So there you go! The boys have discovered Leigh can talk. Yay!

Just a heads up: the next few chapters will mostly be focused on developing the relationships between Leigh and Big Time Rush. This will go on for about five more chapters. But then…the plot will really start roll. I know this for a fact because I am currently about to start writing Chapter 12. Anyways, thanks for reading and remember: reviews are welcomed, but no flames please!


	5. Secrets

Hello, all! I'm so glad you've taken the time to read my story. I have received nothing but encouragement, and it's been a wonderful feeling. So thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush Depressing!

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Chapter 5: Secrets

Carlos POV

I'm pretty sure I have never met anyone like Leigh before in my entire life. Even though it's been seven weeks since we met her, Leigh still hasn't been able to open up to us. At first, we were all concerned and frustrated that she wasn't getting more comfortable around us. But then, the more we watched her go through her daily routines, the more we began to suspect it was just her nature. In the beginning, I thought she was an emo. Or goth. I don't know which, both seem like such foreign concepts to me. Let me explain why I felt this way.

First and foremost, the girl wears nothing but black. Black, black, black. Originally, I thought maybe she only had like two outfits because she couldn't afford to buy more. But after…umm, let's call it "investigating", her closet while she was out helping some photographer with a photo shoot, I saw that she definitely had more than two outfits. All of which were black. She also wears heavy black eyeliner and always has her nails painted black. Logan says it means she wants people to ignore her, but so far it hasn't been working.

At school, people often give her dirty looks and gossip behind her back. I know she can hear what they're saying, mostly because those people don't really try to conceal their sentiments. But she doesn't care AT ALL. She just goes on about her business, not acknowledging anything. In a way, I admire her for it.

As much as I admire her for her individuality, something tells me the reason for her apathy goes deeper than her not caring about how people judge her. I think her past is much worse than what we've been let on. I remember this one time when we were all eating lunch together. It started out normal enough. We were having dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, which are my favorite because James and I like to play with ours. Leigh was silent as usual, only speaking when someone spoke to her. I looked up from my T-Rex and saw that Mama Knight was staring at Leigh intently.

Quietly, Mama Knight commented, "Leigh, that is a beautiful necklace you are wearing! Where did you get it?"

I saw her head snap up, as she focused her attention on Mama Knight. She gingerly began to fiddle with the aforementioned necklace. I know I'm oblivious, but I'm pretty sure that's the only necklace Leigh owns, because it's the only one I've ever seen her wear. It's a pretty unique necklace that's hard to forget. The gem was this pretty dark green that matched Leigh's eyes perfectly. It hung on a silver chain. What set this necklace apart from all others was the fact that on the right side of the chain, there was a small silver bird. It was quite nice; I'd definitely buy something like that for a girlfriend.

Leigh hesitated. Before she spoke, I saw something that surprised me. I've never been known for being the smart one or as the advice giver, but I am good at reading people. I usually do this by looking into the person's eyes. As they say, the eyes are the windows to the soul. In the few weeks I have known Leigh, her eyes have always been void of emotion. Even when she'd glare at us, I saw nothing. It's like she only goes through the motions. But when Mama Knight asked her about the necklace, I saw something in her eyes flicker. Unfortunately, it disappeared before I could really see what it was.

I then heard Leigh say, "It was a gift…from a friend."

Mama Knight nodded. "Well, it's absolutely lovely."

Logan, James, Kendall, and I all glanced at each other. We told Mama Knight everything Leigh told us once we realized she could talk. We all agreed that it would be best to not bring it up and to not push Leigh into talking about herself. By the looks we exchanged, I could tell they read more into what Leigh said, too.

I think Logan has taken it the hardest. He always feels this need to pay people back when they do him a favor. And Leigh has done him the biggest favor of all, what with saving his life and all. Sure, we took care of her while she was recovering. We accepted her into our lives, no questions asked. But it wasn't enough for him. It wasn't enough for any of us. How could it be, when we're witnessing her just going through the motions of living? No joy, no anger…just nothing. Like I said, I really do believe she's had it harder than any of us can imagine.

There was this one time when we were all by the pool. Logan and Leigh were walking around, talking about Arthurian legend or something nerdy like that. I was gawking at the Jennifers, who had just made their grand entrance. Behind them, I noticed Camille. I saw her eyes narrow. I followed her gaze, and saw that it landed on Logan and Leigh. Once I saw her storming toward them, I realized what she was up to. I nudged Kendall and James, and told them. We started yelling, hoping to get Logan and Leigh's attention. But they were too far away to hear us. We watched helplessly as Camille approached them with her hand held high, ready to strike. We prepared ourselves to hear the smack, but it never came. I'm not sure what happened. One minute, Camille was about to bitch slap Leigh, the next minute Leigh had Camille's arm pinned behind her back, while her other arm was wrapped around Camille's neck. Logan was squawking at Leigh, trying to explain that Camille was harmless. Kendall, James, and I ran over to them, hoping to help before the situation got out of hand. As we reached them, Leigh let go of Camille, who at this point was kneeling on the ground and gasping for air.

"Sorry," Leigh said emotionlessly, "Reflex." She then turned and left, without so much as acknowledging the rest of us.

"Are you ok, Camille?" Logan asked, his voice shaky.

Her coughing ceased, and she nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Who was that?"

"That was Leigh," Kendall replied, "But we really couldn't tell you more than that."

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Now, you're probably thinking, "This girl's a psychopath, why are you hanging out with her?" The truth is, she's actually really nice. Once you get passed her tough exterior. I can't even begin to tell you how many times she's helped us out in a jam. Like the time that crazy ass photographer wanted to shoot us as matadors in space on a snowmobile. Funny enough, she was his assistant the day of BTR's photo shoot. When she saw what her boss and Griffin wanted us to shoot us as, she jumped to our defense. When that failed, she helped us distract the photographer and came up with the idea of shooting a secret photo to give to Pop Tiger. It worked brilliantly, except for the unfortunate coincidence of our picture being on the other side of Dak Zevon's. Which made us feel even worse about her losing her job. She reassured us that it was fine. Actually, she said she was relieved that she didn't have to work for some crazy, narcissistic man anymore. We promised that we'd find her another job, but she said she already had a few things lined up. I wasn't sure if I believed her, but I knew there was no point in harassing her about it.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Leigh is what I learned about her tonight. She's a songwriter. And, more importantly than that, she actually gave us one of her songs. It was after the whole "Any Kind of Guy" fiasco. We were eating dinner, and the guys and I were complaining about how Griffin wanted ANOTHER love song with the word "baby" in it. In the middle of our rant, Leigh intervened.

"I have a song," she spoke softly.

James looked at her. "Really?" He really did his best to hide his astonishment, but it fell flat. Leigh didn't seem to take notice, because she got up from the dinner table and left the apartment. A few moments later, she came back with a piece of paper in her hand. Silently, she handed it to Kendall. He began to read the lyrics to himself, his eyebrows disappearing underneath his bangs from raising them so high.

"Leigh…this is really good," he said after reading it, passing the sheet to the rest of us.

"You really wrote this?" I asked when I finished reading her song.

She looked at me funny. "Yeah. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Umm…well, I just figured this wouldn't be your kind of thing-" I began, but she cut me off.

"Because of the way I dress." It was a statement, not a question.

I gulped nervously at the accusation. Well, I guess it wasn't really an accusation, more like the truth.

She chuckled mirthlessly. "You don't give me much credit, do you?"

Before I could respond, James saved me by saying, "Well, I think we all truly like this song. You'd really let us use it?"

Leigh shrugged. "Sure, why not? It's not like I really have a use for it."

"We'll need to show this to Gustavo, but I'm sure he'll love it, too. Thanks, Leigh, this could really save our butts," Logan explained.

"I think I'm going to go back to my place and crash," she responded, obviously not used to be thanked, "Good night."

We told her good night and she left. As soon as the door closed, the three boys spun their heads to glare at me.

"What the hell was that about, Carlos?" Kendall exclaimed.

"Ummm…"

"Yeah, seriously. 'I just figured this wouldn't be your kind of thing.' Could you be any less tactful?" Logan added.

"Look, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking. I feel terrible about it." I responded, chastised.

James sighed. "Well, knowing her, she'll never bring it up again."

I know James was trying to make me feel better about my faux pas, but I could tell we all wished she would bring it up and react in a normal way.

Noticing the time, we all decided it was time to go to bed. We had a really early day in the morning, especially since we now had a song to show Gustavo. As I crawled into my bed, I couldn't help but think about Leigh.

What could have made her this way?

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Haha, poor Carlos. Oh, and I do realize the two episodes I put in this chapter are out of order, but I didn't think it was that significant to correct lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for chapter 6! Remember, reviews are welcomed, but no flames please!


	6. Gives You Hell

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry it's been a while since I updated. I have forgotten about this story, I promise. Once again, thank you for all the attention you have given this story. It means A LOT to me. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 6!**

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Chapter 6: Gives You Hell

Leigh POV

RING…RING…

Bleary eyed, I looked over at my clock. It read 9:15 am. "Who the hell would be calling me at nine in the morning?" I thought as I reached for my phone. Looking at the caller ID, I couldn't help but groan. It read, "K-Dawg."

"Boys and their nicknames," I thought as I answered.

"Yes, Kendall?"

"Hey, Leigh," he greeted cheerfully, "Listen, Gustavo LOVES your song. He told me to call you and ask if you could come down to the studio so he could buy the song from you."

"Yeah, let me check my schedule," I said as I pretended to check said schedule. Truth be told, ever since that Pop Tiger incident, I haven't been able to find a job. But of course I couldn't tell any of the guys that. They felt so guilty about me losing my job, and trust me, they didn't let me forget it. It was only after I told them I had stuff lined up that they dropped the subject. If they knew the truth, they'd never get off my back.

After what felt like the appropriate amount of time, I finally told Kendall that I was available. He gave me the address to the studio and I assured him I'd get there as soon as I could. Sighing, I got out of bed and made my way to the closet. After about ten minutes I headed out the door, but not without sending my bed a longing gaze. Tiredly, I made my way to my car and drove off to Rocque Records.

* * *

After meeting Gustavo, I could see why the boys were always complaining. The man was abrasive, loud, and rude. But, we made up a contract and I got a pretty nice sum of money. Which, to be perfectly honest, I needed.

"So missy," he said once the contract was signed, "do you sing?"

The boys looked at me, hope written all over their faces. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty when I said no. I tried to not notice their faces, obviously crestfallen at my statement.

"Well then," Gustavo continued, "while the dogs here are practicing, you and my assistant Kelly will be deciding who gets to sing your song when we debut it."

"And why would I want to waste my time listening to some wannabe pop stars?" I asked, eyeing Gustavo suspiciously. He had no right to assume I'd do such a thing.

He grinned. "Because it's in your contract."

"What?" I roared. His grin got bigger as I flipped through the contract that I had neglected to read before I signed. I suppressed a moan when I found where in the contract he sneakily slipped in this information. He must've noticed I found it because he then said, "Kelly has already placed some phone calls to some of the other acts we have been interested in. They should be arriving here shortly." His grin got impossibly wider as he added, " Have fun."

* * *

Kelly and I had been at this for HOURS. I was about ready bang my head against the table. It's not that all the girls up until now have sucked. It's just that they were all so BORING. And, as much as I pretended I didn't care, I really wanted to find someone different. That was when Cassandra walked in. For a moment, I thought I was looking in a mirror. She had the same shade of blonde hair and her eyes were nearly the same color as mine. Though I was sitting and she was standing, it looked like we were about the same height, too. If it weren't for all the makeup I wore, we could probably pass for sisters. According to Kelly, at least. When we asked for her whole name, she wouldn't tell us her last name, claiming that it wasn't necessary. I hadn't even known her for five minutes and I could already tell she was pretentious, snobby, and arrogant. Traits I absolutely loathed in a person.

But then she sang. I'm not saying it was the greatest performance ever. In fact, she was pitchy in a lot of places. But it had heart, which was something none of the other girls before Cassandra seemed to have. Cassandra stopped singing and looked at Kelly and me.

"So, what do you think?" Kelly asked me as she stifled a yawn. She'd been willing to hire girl number one on the spot. Actually, she'd been willing to hire every single girl that's walked through here today. I was the one who rejected them.

I mulled it over. Then, a thought struck me. I remembered how the boys always said Gustavo hates people who talk back to him and think they are superior to him. And Cassandra was definitely the type of girl fit that description perfectly.

I smiled at Cassandra, "Welcome to Rocque Records." As she made her demands, only one thought crossed my mind: comeuppance!

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**A/N: Kind of a weird chapter, I know. But I kind of like it. Brings out a different side to Leigh. I hope you liked it, too! Don't worry, I believe the rest of the chapters are longer than this one. Remember: Critiques are welcomed, but no flames please.**


	7. Busted!

**A/N: I'm so flighty! I meant to tell you guys that the necklace in Chapter 5 is actually a real necklace that I found on the Internet. If you want to learn more about it, just PM me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush in any way, shape, or form, nor do I own the Lady Antebellum song "When You Got A Good Thing." Wish I did, though!**

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Chapter 7: Busted!

Leigh POV

The past three weeks have been chaotic, to say the least. In addition to having to pick the female singer, my contract also bound me to supervise the entire process of making my song. For the last three weeks, I've had to figure what instruments I wanted in the song (since Gustavo made it clear that an acoustic guitar wasn't enough), choreography, wardrobe, and lighting. According to Gustavo, having me make all the decisions would make the performance more authentic, which meant better feedback from the audience. I personally thought he was just lazy and liked making people suffer. The song itself is a duet, but I had to decide whether it was a duet between Cassandra and Big Time Rush, or a duet between Cassandra and one of the boys from Big Time Rush. Based on how I originally wrote the song, I decided on the latter. Thankfully, Gustavo decided which of the boys would get the part. He gave it to James, saying his boyish good looks would contribute to the song's success.

After tonight, I can finally breathe. At the beginning of this whole process, Gustavo made the announcement that Big Time Rush would be doing a free concert to promote their CD that was nearing its completion. He said he got the idea from some show called Hannah Montana. Apparently, the show has some concert footage of Hannah performing at a concert. In order to get people to come to the concert, at least during the first season, the producers of the show advertised a free Hannah Montana concert in the newspaper. Sounded like a dumb idea to me, but everyone else seemed excited. Unfortunately, I didn't have much of a say.

* * *

The vast majority of the concert went by perfectly. The crowd was really loud and supportive, and I could tell the boys were enjoying themselves. It was during the intermission that things started to go awry. The boys got off the stage to help James prepare for the duet. I went to check on Cassandra, making sure she was getting ready since the intermission was a very short one. I knocked on her dressing room door, and was met with silence. Slowly, I turned the knob and opened the door. The sight I was met with surprised me. There was Cassandra, crying as she attempted to gargle some sort of liquid.

"Cassandra?" I called out, uncertain of what was going on.

She spat out the liquid. "L-L-Leigh…" she whispered, tears flowing freely down her face.

In the three weeks I have come to know her, I've realized that my first impression of her was off. She wasn't arrogant at all. She was a DIVA. I'm pretty sure Gustavo was about ready to kill himself a few times. Nobody liked her, and they all wanted to kick her out. Unfortunately, her ironclad contract prohibited us from doing as such, so we were stuck with her. Still, even though she's made these past few weeks hell, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Are you ok?" I knew it sounded like a stupid question, but I've never been good at this comforting crap.

"I-I don't kn-n-now. I woke up this morning with a tickle in my throat. I drank some tea, and I thought it helped. But then, while I was getting ready, I saw this really big, really gross cockroach, so I screamed. And now, I can't talk and my throat really really hurts." She then began to cough.

"Don't panic, but I think you might have laryngitis, which you aggravated when you screamed."

A knock on Cassandra's door brought me back to reality. She and I both turned our gazes to the door, hoping that the person wouldn't try to come in.

"Is everything okay in there?" I heard Kendall ask, his voice muffled by the door.

I hesitated. "Yeeeah…everything's fine. Her zipper's just stuck."

"Ok, well Cassandra has five minutes," I heard his footsteps move away from the door.

"Oh, Leigh!" Cassandra cried quietly, flinging her arms around me, "I can't go out there! What are we gonna do?"

I tried my best to not to turn my head as her sick breath tickled my face.

"Okay, first of all…you need to stop whispering. You're aggravating it even more.

She nodded, and I continued, "Second, you have to go out there. Don't worry, you're not going to be singing," I quickly added when I saw her start to panic. "Just turn your microphone off and lip sync. Let me take care of the rest."

She was about to protest, but I disrupted her. "You're just going to have to trust me, okay? I promise this plan will work if you just follow my instructions exactly."

I had her nearly convinced, so I pressed on. "Plus, think of how bad you'll look if you cancel your performance now."

Her eyes widened.

"So, are you going to trust me?"

She nodded fervently. "Good," I responded. "Drink some water right before you go on stage, and whatever you do, do NOT cough while you're supposed to sing."

Cassandra shook her head, and together we left her dressing room. She went to stand next to the stage director, while I went to find the technical producer.

Luckily, I found him at the sound booth, where he was supposed to be. "Spike, I need your help with something,"

Spencer, aka "Spike" was a six foot two red head with big nerdy glasses. He felt the nickname gave him edge. To pacify him, we agreed.

"What's up, Leigh? The second half of the concert is about to start."

"Yeah, about that…Cassandra lost her voice."

"WHAT?" he screeched.

"Calm down, it's fine. We've turned her mic off. Now, I need a microphone so I can sing for her."

He looked at me skeptically. "You sure you want to do that? I mean, can you even sing?"

"Do we really have any other options that won't make BTR look bad?"

"I guess not."

Spike did as I asked, and before I knew it, I heard the beginning of the song start. I began to count the beats. And James should be starting…

**"Everybody keeps telling me I'm such a lucky man,"**

I heard James start singing. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever hear my song come to life like this. It was exhilarating.

"**Looking at you standing there I know I am."**

I looked at Cassandra, who was standing near the stage, preparing herself to start walking when it was her cue. She looked back at me hesitantly. I gave her a strained smile, hoping it would encourage her.

"**Barefooted beauty with eyes that blue, **

**Sunshine sure looks good on you, I swear."**

On cue, Cassandra walked out and I began to sing.

"**Oh I can't believe I finally found ya baby,**

**Happy ever after after all this time."**

Spike looked at me, his mouth forming an "o" shape. I ignored him and focused on the task at hand.

"**Oh there's gonna be some ups and downs,**

**But with you to wrap my arms around, I'm fine."**

I heard James inhale before he began to join me in the chorus.

**"So baby, hold on tight, don't let go**

**Hold on to the love we're making**

**Cause baby when the ground starts shaking, you gotta know**

**When you got a good thing"**

We continued to sing, and the next thing I knew, the audience began to clap and the song was over. Cassandra walked backstage, her face sheet white. I heard the next song start and three other voices join James'.

I turned my microphone off as Cassandra tackled me. "I can't believe we pulled that off!" she squealed as she hugged me tightly.

"Cassandra, you need to rest your voice." I sighed, exasperated. She nodded and ran back to her dressing room excitedly. I looked back at Spike, who smiled at me and gave me a thumb's up. I smirked as I raised my pointer finger to my lips, making it clear that if he told anyone, I'd kill him.

* * *

Never had I been so happy to return back to the Palm Woods as I was that night. Mrs. Knight prepared a huge feast for everybody to commemorate BTR's first concert. Cassandra left immediately after the concert, saying she was exhausted after the big night. No one seemed to notice our switcharoo, which we were both relieved about. Before she left, she shot me a grateful glance, which I acknowledged with a soft smile.

After indulging in a few sweets that Mrs. Knight prepared, I said my goodnights to everybody and went back to my apartment. I noticed James looking at me funny as I left and I saw him make some lame excuse before he followed me out the door. When I heard him close the door behind him, I looked around the hallway. When I saw nobody else was present, I turned to James.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

He stared at me. "Yeah, I was just wondering what you thought of the duet?"

I felt my stomach do a flip. "Oh, it was good. You guys really did the song justice. Thank you." I turned to go into my apartment, but James grabbed my wrist.

"I know it was you singing." He said bluntly.

"What makes you say that?" I replied, trying to play it cool.

"I've been practicing with Cassandra for the past THREE weeks. I know everything about her voice. And I know she could never sing the song as well as you did tonight. Plus, did you really think I wouldn't be able to tell she was lip-synching? I mean, I was right there."

One minor detail I had neglected to think about when I made the bold decision to sing for Cassandra.

Sensing me give up, he continued, "Why did you tell Gustavo you couldn't sing? If he knew you could sing like that, he'd sign you in a heartbeat."

"First of all, I didn't tell him I couldn't sing. I said I don't sing. As in, if someone heard me sing and wanted to sign me, I'd say no."

He looked confused. "Why?"

"Because, unlike the vast majority of people, becoming famous is something I do not crave. I just want to live a normal life."

He nodded, but I could tell he thought I was crazy. Then he continued, "Why did you sing tonight?"

"Well…Cassandra fell ill and lost her voice. She couldn't perform, so I went in her place."

"Aww! You do care about us." He squealed, acting like a girl.

"No! I mean, I did what I had to. Nothing more."

"Whatever you say, Leigh," he responded, clearly not buying it.

"Look, you can't tell anyone, okay? Cassandra may be a diva, but she really does have talent. If Gustavo or anyone else knew it was me singing, it would discredit her as a singer."

James sighed. "Okay, fine. I won't say anything. But you owe me."

"Deal. Now, go back inside and celebrate."

He smiled and said goodnight as he went back inside. I went back into my apartment and flopped onto my bed. I really hated the fact that I now owed James. I just hope he doesn't hold this over my head.

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**A/N: Did you guys know that fact about Hannah Montana? I saw it on an E! exclusive or something. But yeah…I don't really like this chapter. But I felt it needed to be written. And I know Lady Antebellum has a completely different sound than BTR. But I really like the song, so there! The next chapter will go into how Leigh pays James back. I hope I'm not boring you guys! I promise you, Chapter 10 is when things start getting intense! So, we're almost there! Anyways, thanks for reading and remember: critiques are welcomed, but no flames please.**


	8. Confusion

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush. But I do think I own Madam Wok's Chinese Restaurant. If you happen to know of a real Madam Wok's, let me know!**

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Chapter 8: Confusion

James POV

"Leigh, please!" I cried.

"There is no way I'm going to be your fake girlfriend," she replied, arms folded across her chest.

"C'mon, Leigh. I'm in huge trouble!"

It's true. I needed a fake girlfriend, and I needed one fast. There was this guy who worked at the hair salon I go to. For some reason, he has made it his sole mission to make me his boyfriend. I tried to convince him I wasn't gay. But he wouldn't believe me! He said I was too pretty to be straight. But I am straight, dammit. Finally, I had to say I had a girlfriend with whom I'm madly in love. And even that didn't completely convince him. So, now I have to find a fake girlfriend for tonight, since I'm meeting Ty (that's his name) for dinner.

"Surely you know more girls than me? Like Camille?"

"Camille is crazy! Plus, she'd probably make me promise to set her up on a date with Logan or something. And no one else can know about this!" I screeched.

"Look, I'm sorry. But you know I've got plans for tonight."

It was common knowledge amongst the dwellers of 2J that Leigh never ate dinner with us on Friday nights. She never said why, and we all knew better than to ask. The last thing we wanted to do was make her even more guarded than she already is.

"I didn't want it to come down to this, but you owe me."

Yeah, I went there. It had been a week since the concert and as I promised, I didn't tell a single soul about what happened. Ever since that night, Cassandra has become way nicer. I guess having someone save your career can change you. Everyone is baffled, well except me. It's actually kind of fun knowing something Logan doesn't. Too bad I can't gloat about it, though.

Leigh stared at me, her gaze turning icy. "Fine," she said, "But now we're even."

I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, of course! Thanks, Leigh."

* * *

"This is where we're eating?" Leigh said as we approached the restaurant.

I looked down at the text Ty sent me. "Yeah, Madam Wok's. This is it. Is that a problem?"

I noticed she hesitated before replying, "No, not at all. Come on, let's go scare this guy so he'll leave you alone."

We entered the restaurant, and I immediately saw Ty. He stood up from the table he was sitting at, and walked over to us.

"Hi James!" he said enthusiastically, shooting a dirty look at Leigh. I was about to introduce Ty and Leigh, when a frail Asian woman approached us.

Leigh!" she cried, "Ni hao ma?"

"Wo hen hao, ni ne?" Leigh responded. The old woman replied excitedly and the two women began to converse in rapid Mandarin.

Seeing that they weren't going to stop anytime soon, Ty led me back to the table. "Wow, she knows how to speak Mandarin?" he asked, mystified.

"Yeah, apparently—I mean, oh yes. She speaks it all the time." I replied, trying to cover up the fact that I was completely blindsided by this fact of about Leigh.

Before Ty could say anything else, we saw Leigh walking toward our table. I stood up, and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "Ty, this is Leigh. Leigh, this is Ty."

Leigh smirked at me as her arm snake around my waist. She then turned to Ty and said, "It's nice to meet you Ty." I could hear the venom in her voice as she spoke. I suppressed a shiver.

"N-nice to meet you, too," he managed to squeak out. I kind of felt bad for Ty. I mean, normal Leigh is intimidating enough to begin with. But Leigh acting like a possessive, psycho girlfriend was bloody scary. And I wasn't even on the receiving end of her wrath.

We got through the dinner without too much trouble. Ty asked a few questions about how we met, first date, etc. I'm not very good at fibbing, but thankfully Leigh was able to lie on her feet well. A little too well, in my opinion, but in this case I was relieved she could.

I was surprised at how easy it was to be with Leigh. Never had I seen her so talkative, so carefree. Every time I made a joke, she'd swat me playfully. We constantly held hands, and from time to time she'd even rest her head against my shoulder. When our meals were served, she even fed me some of her Peking duck. It almost felt natural when I returned the favor and let her sample some of my stir-fry.

I was having such a good time, in fact, that I was almost disappointed when the check came. I wasn't sure where the time had gone. One minute, I was introducing Leigh and Ty, the next thing I know Leigh and I are saying goodbye to him.

Leigh and I were making our way back to the Palm Woods. It was only 6:45 pm, Ty insisted on having an early dinner since he was working the night shift at Walmart tonight. I felt bad for him, working two jobs to cover his expenses.

Watching the sun as it began to descend toward the horizon, I made a snap decision.

"Hey…Leigh?" I asked.

She looked up at me, her eyebrow raised. Apparently, normal Leigh was back.

"Umm…do you maybe want to…um…watch the sunset?"

Once again, I was met with a blank stare. We had stopped walking by then, which made me all the more apprehensive. I coughed nervously, hoping she'd answer my question soon. I was starting to feel really dumb for asking.

She shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

The conversation stopped after that. Wordlessly, we made our way to a nearby park. We didn't encounter a lot of people when we entered the park. Embarrassed, I couldn't help but notice that the majority of the people we did see were love struck couples. I snuck a peek at Leigh, hoping she didn't notice all the couples around. She seemed unfazed, as usual. We spotted a free bench with a perfect view of the sun setting, and moved toward it. We sat down and were met with silence as we watched the sun move lower and lower, painting the sky in a myriad of orange, yellow, and pink. I had to admit, if there was one good thing about pollution it was the fact it created stunning sunsets.

"So," I started, disturbing the stillness, "since when do you speak Mandarin?"

I heard Leigh let out a hollow laugh. "I was wondering when you'd call me out on that. I grew up around the Chinatown located in Boston. Sort of came with the territory."

"You seemed to know that old woman at Madam Wok's well," I pressed on, wondering how much information I could squeeze out of her before she shut me out.

"Yeah, well that's what happens when you go to the same restaurant once a week for like two months. I owe her a lot."

I nodded, making a mental note to tell the others. We were once again immersed in silence. The sun finished setting and the coolness of the February breeze made itself known. I shuddered, wondering if Leigh felt the chill as well. She didn't make any movement, still as a statue. I looked down at my watch, realizing how late it was becoming.

"We should probably go," I stated.

We left the park and headed back to the Palm Woods in companionable silence. It was relaxing, surprisingly enough. Normally I hated the quiet. It's just so boring. But there was something about walking in the darkness with Leigh that felt…nice.

Before I could reflect upon it further, I realized we had arrived in front of 2K. Leigh got out her keys and unlocked her door.

"Thanks again, Leigh." I said.

"No problem." Then she gave me an evil grin. "He shouldn't be bothering you again."

I chuckled. I looked down at her, and did something that I never thought I'd do.

I kissed her on the cheek. I saw her eyes widen, obviously not expecting me to do that.

I cleared my throat. "Good night, Leigh." I quickly opened the door to 2J and shut it before she could say or do anything.

"Hey James," I heard Kendall's voice call out, "Why are you blushing?"

Looking for the where the sound came from, I discovered Kendall, Carlos, and Logan sitting around the TV, which was currently on mute. Three pairs of eyes gazed at me, mystified.

"Yeah, where have you been anyways? It's nearly eight-thirty," Logan added.

"I umm…I.." I stuttered.

Carlos stood up, pointing his finger at me. "Aha! Blushing, mysteriously disappearing on us…who's the girl?"

I panicked. "No! I mean, what girl? Psssh…there's no girl. You guys are funny, hahaha!"

My best friends eyed me warily. They knew me too damn well. Before they could further interrogate me, I yawned. "Boy, I'm exhausted! I think I'm gonna hit the hay. G'night."

I hurried to my room and slammed the door. I climbed into bed and tried to sleep. But no sleep came. Instead, I spent the majority of the night tossing and turning in my bed, thinking about the way Leigh's head rested perfectly on my shoulder, and the way she acted at dinner. The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.

* * *

**A/N: Did you like the James/Leigh fluff? I hope so! I'm excited to post the chapter nine, so expect it tomorrow sometime. Thanks for reading! Review if you'd like! Oh, and I looked up the Mandarin on the Internet, so if it's wrong, I'm sorry! It's supposed to say:**

**"Leigh? How are you?"**

**"I'm good, how are you?"**

**Or something to that effect. **


	9. Walk Down Memory Lane

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or Black Bear Mountain. Apparently, Black Bear Mountain is located in New York? Well, in this story it's located outside of Los Angeles. Just so you know. **

* * *

Chapter 9: Walk Down Memory Lane

Leigh POV

After 365 days, today has finally arrived once again: March 18th. It was without a doubt the worst day of my life. I had been dreading it for a solid week now. I know the boys detected the change in my demeanor. For the past week, I've been descending into a deeper and deeper state of depression. I didn't even bother hiding it. Today was too important of a day for me to pretend I was ok. How could I be?

The night of March 17th is always the worst part. The harbinger of a day that still lived so vividly in my memory. I try to sleep, even though I know sleep never comes. Instead, flashes of the past bounce around in my mind like some sick, twisted tennis match. I knew it was pointless to try to sleep, and yet I hoped. I hoped after two years, the pain would dull. But it hasn't. If anything, it's only intensified.

It always surprises me how quickly morning can come, even without sleep to pass the time. I stared into the darkness, seeing nothing but the pain and torture my guilt sprung upon me. So intense was my reverie, that it took a loud knock on the door to jar me back to reality.

I let go of the pillow I was holding, and slowly climb out of my bed. I glanced at my alarm clock, and immediately knew who would be at the door.

Mrs. Knight always had breakfast ready by 7:30, regardless of what the boys' schedules were. She insisted that waking up at the same time everyday was the best way to regulate one's sleeping cycle. Currently, it was 7:45. Not one to be late, I knew Mrs. Knight had sent one of the boys to come check on me to make sure I was ok.

Sure enough, it was Logan who was at the door. He raised his eyebrows once he saw me, the frown on his face growing more pronounced as he took notice of my disheveled appearance.

"Umm…breakfast is ready," he said, clearly caught off guard by my countenance. Then his eyebrows furrowed. "Are you ok? You look kind of pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I mumbled, "didn't get much sleep." I could tell he wanted to question me further, but I cut him off. "Tell Mrs. Knight I'll be there in five minutes."

"Alright," he responded hesitantly as he began to walk back to apartment 2J. I shut the door and started to get dressed.

As soon as I opened the door to apartment 2J, I knew Logan had told the others of our little conversation. All talking had ceased as soon as I entered the door. I was met with six pairs of eyes, wordlessly assessing me. I tried to hide my irritation as I sat in the chair between Kendall and Carlos.

Mrs. Knight snapped out of the trance first. "Good morning, Leigh," she chirped cheerfully, "would you like some pancakes?"

I wanted to say yes. Really, I did. I would never admit it, but Mrs. Knight was a really good cook. But as I looked at the pancakes, my stomach began to knot painfully. Just like it always does on this day. I ducked my head, avoiding Mrs. Knight's kind eyes.

"No, I'm fine. I'll just have some orange juice."

I could almost hear everyone's gaze on me shift to one another. Even though I was looking at the table, I could sense they were worried. They were always worried. I then heard Mrs. Knight rummage through the kitchen.

Kendall placed his hand on my shoulder, his eyes boring through the side of my head. "Are you sure you're ok? You really do look pale."

His voice was so kind, so full of concern. I almost regretted the harshness of my actions as I shrugged his hand of me.

"I'm fine."

"But you really should eat something! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know," Carlos added, trying to keep his voice light and cheery.

Out of my peripheral, I could see James shaking his head, silently agreeing with the two boys. Ever since that fake date, James hasn't really spoken to me. The sudden change threw me off, but I learned to deal with it. I figured he had his reasons, and whether I liked it or not I couldn't change it.

"Really, I'm fine," I said, once again with as much patience as I could muster.

Mrs. Knight had come out of the kitchen and handed me my orange juice. Grateful for the distraction, I took a sip.

"But orange juice isn't enough, Leigh. Little sleep mixed with no breakfast could spell out disaster later on today." Logan explained. "Just try to eat something."

I don't know what happened, but suddenly I snapped. "LOOK, I'M FINE OK? JUST GET OFF MY BACK!" I hollered.

The tension that up to this point was so thick was finally sliced by my anger. It was the first time I had ever raised my voice since I knew these people. Evidently, everyone else realized the significance of this action, too. Identical looks of shock appeared on each of their faces. For a moment, it seemed time had stopped. Nobody said anything, moved, or even breathed.

I stood up, leaving my glass of orange juice untouched. "Thank you for breakfast, Mrs. Knight," I said. Without another word, I left apartment 2J.

* * *

It's been half an hour since my "meltdown." It had been a peaceful thirty minutes, mostly because no one had tried to confront me about what happened. But as I sat on the couch, listening to the clock tick, I couldn't help but think I needed to do something today. Something in honor of what today represented. I looked around my apartment, hoping to find something. My gaze landed on my camera. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at it, and suddenly I was struck with inspiration. I grabbed the camera, along with a few other important things, and left my apartment. Just as I locked my door, the door to apartment 2J swung open. Logan stepped out of the apartment, looking lost in his thoughts. He snapped out of it once he saw me.

"Hey," he greeted, "Listen, can we talk?"

"I'm a little busy at the moment," I replied, holding up my camera. I then moved past him and headed for the elevator.

"Where are you going?" he asked when he caught up with me.

"Black Bear Mountain."

"By yourself?"

"Yes, now if you'll excuse me." The elevator door opened and I tried to enter it. But Logan seemed to have a different plan since he grabbed my wrist, holding me back.

"It's dangerous to go there by yourself!" he clucked, "I mean there's poisonous snakes, bears, bees!"

"I'll take my chances." I tried to tug my hand out of his, but he held fast.

"Please…let me go with you. If something happened I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

I sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

We made it to Black Bearin good time. During the drive, Logan was quiet…which surprised me. I expected this to be some ploy to get me to talk about my outburst this morning. But so far, he hasn't even so much as hinted at it. The day was going well enough. I spent the time taking pictures, while Logan walked beside me. I had to admit, I was pretty impressed with his ability to stay quiet for so long.

Then, we separated. Well, actually, I ran ahead of the trail because I thought I saw something worth taking a picture of. I slowed my gait, as I approached the site. It was a mother deer nuzzling her fawn. I gradually squatted so I could get a better angle without spooking the animals. I was about to take the picture when…

"AHHHHHHHH, BEEEEEEEEE!" Logan screamed. I turned to see him barreling down the trail toward me, his arms flailing about. He tripped on some rocks and face planted. I hurried over to where he was, and saw the "bee." I held my finger out and the "bee" in question landed on my finger softly.

I kneeled down in front of Logan. "Is this your bee?" I asked quietly.

He looked at my finger, where a beautiful yellow butterfly was resting. Recognizing what was on my finger, a huge blush immediately spread across his face.

My reaction to this was simple. I began to howl with laughter. As soon as I realized what I was doing, I forced myself to stop. I shouldn't be laughing…not today.

Logan noticed. "Hey, it's okay to laugh. It was actually really nice to hear you laugh for once."

I looked away from him. "I laugh at you guys all the time."

He chuckled. "True. But this laugh was different. It actually sounded…real."

I stood up, angry with myself. "Look, I shouldn't have laughed, alright?"

He stood up as well. "Why?" he asked softly.

I inhaled deeply, trying to recollect myself. "Because today is not a day meant for happy times."

"Is that why you've been so out of it lately? Leigh, you can trust me. I swear I won't say anything to the others. What happened today?"

It was too much. I couldn't handle keeping it in anymore. I was so tired…so damn tired of reliving it. For the second time that day, I snapped.

"My best friend, he died two years ago today! There, satisfied?"

Logan didn't move. He just stared at me, like he was deciding how best to approach this. After weighing all of his options, he finally chose.

"What was his name?"

"Eric."

"Was he the one who gave you that necklace?"

I bowed my head, the memories too painful.

"Yes," I managed to say.

The next thing I knew, Logan was hugging me. At first I felt myself tense, as I normally did when someone touches me. But then, to my astonishment, I found myself hugging him back.

I don't know how long we stood there, embracing each other. It could've been minutes; it could've been hours. But after some period of time, we let go of each other and began walking again.

"You know," Logan randomly spoke, "it's ok to be happy on the anniversary of his death."

I looked at him, uncertain of how to respond. He gave me a sweet smile as he continued.

"My grandfather died about five years ago. It was just awful. My whole family was devastated and for a while, I thought the world would never right itself again. The first anniversary was really tough. I didn't even want to get out of bed. But my mom made me because my aunts and grandma were coming over. That day, all we did was tell stories about him. We laughed, we cried, but most importantly, we remembered. All the stories I used to roll my eyes at were suddenly my favorite stories."

"Like what?" I inquired curiously.

A huge grin appeared on Logan's face. "Ok, so my grandfather was a detective right? Well, my grandparents first met because my grandmother's car was stolen. My grandmother was really poor, she had just had a nasty divorce that left her with next to nothing. So, you can imagine how distraught she was when her car was stolen. Apparently, my grandfather felt so bad for her that he personally took her with him while he tracked her car down. Grandma always says it was the best date she had ever been on."

"Wow," I breathed. "That's really cool." I was incredibly touched that Logan was so honest with me. Even though he smiled, I could tell his grandfather's death was still hard to deal with.

I began to chuckle. "Eric was always so impatient." I showed Logan my camera. "This actually used to belong to him. He said he always wanted to be a photographer, so for his birthday, his parents bought him this camera. He'd try and try to take pictures, but he always managed to screw up the picture somehow, whether it was the fact his thumb was on top of lens, or he would cut off the heads of the people who's picture he was taking. I tried to show him how to hold it properly and how to aim the camera, but he had no patience. Finally, he claimed his dream was lost forever and gave me the camera, saying I would have better luck."

Logan smiled kindly at me, and I had to admit: I had forgotten the story behind the camera. Every time I looked at it, all I saw was his lifeless corpse. It was nice to know that I still had good memories.

I looked down at my watch. "We should probably get back to the car," I stated, "By the time we get back to the Palm Woods it'll be dark."

* * *

The drive back to the Palm Woods was just as quiet as the drive up. However, it was a different kind of quiet. It was as if Logan and I had come to some sort of mutual understanding, and we decided to sit in companionable silence.

"Oh, crap." Logan said as he stared at his phone. "I have like 20 text messages from Kendall, James, and Carlos wondering where I've been all day and if I knew where you were. Did they text you?"

I handed him my phone to check. "Yeah, they texted you, too. What are we gonna tell them?" I could tell he was about to panic.

"Relax. You tell them you've been at the library all day. Start going into detail about some really complex math problem…they'll drop the subject. And I'll just tell them I had a photo shoot."

We arrived at the Palm Woods shortly after that. Logan was about to leave, as part of our plan, when I stopped him.

"Logan I-" I started to say. He looked at me curiously, trying to figure out what I wanted to say. I closed my mouth, and decided to show him rather than tell. I gave him a quick hug and murmured "thank you." He looked stunned, but recovered quickly, shooting me an easy smile. He then turned around and made his way back to 2J. I waited five minutes before I began my trek to apartment 2J as well.

* * *

I said goodnight to everybody as I walked over to my apartment. Thankfully, no one brought up this morning. I think there were just happy that I was acting more like myself and actually ate. I quickly changed into my pajamas and went to lay down on my bed. Staring up at the ceiling, I began to reflect on what happened today. As much as I wanted to believe Logan, I knew I couldn't. I couldn't remember Eric like Logan remembered his grandfather. Because every time I thought about Eric, I would think about his death. And then I would remember…

It was all my fault.

* * *

**A/N: Sooo…what did you think? Did you like the Logan/Leigh fluff? I'm so excited because we're getting super close to learning Leigh's secret. Anyways, review if you'd like! Thanks for reading!**


	10. It's Inevitable

**A/N: Hey all! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. It means the world to me. Well, here's Chapter 10, and as I promised, the real action and plot is going to start! I hope you like it.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush.

* * *

Chapter 10: It's Inevitable

Leigh POV

It was a morning like any other. I woke up at 6:00, as usual. I went through my everyday routine of putting on my workout clothes, brushing my teeth and hair. Never in a million years would I have expected today to be so drastically different.

The difference between today and yesterday started as soon as I walked out of my apartment.

"Oh, hi Kendall," I greeted, seeing that the blonde hair boy just closed the door to his apartment, too. "What are you doing up so early?"

He grinned. "I could ask the same of you."

I shrugged. "I'm going for a run, like I do most days. What's your story?"

"Uh…I'm meeting Jo…she likes to work out in the mornings and I offered to be her training buddy," he answered, trying to not blush as he said it.

I couldn't help but smirk. Jo and Kendall started "dating" a while ago after he discovered she pretended to have a boyfriend. Looking back on it, I actually kind of feel bad for suggesting to Jo to fake a boyfriend to get the boys off her back in the first place. I wonder how Kendall react if he knew that? I decided it was best to just let bygones be bygones.

"Well, have fun," I said. Then, I remembered the last time Kendall was Jo's training buddy. "And be careful."

"Oh, I definitely will be," he responded, "And you be careful, too you hear?"

I walked past him and made my way to the elevator. "I always am."

Too bad it didn't pay off this time around.

* * *

Leigh POV

When people ask me what happened, I tell them I can't recall much. I just remember driving to the park. I remember steering my car down the hill, like I always do in order to get to the parking lot near the lake. I always enjoyed running next to the lake. It was incredibly tranquil. The next thing I realize, my brakes aren't working. I remember the car picking up momentum as I headed toward the lake. I remember honking my horn to alert what few people were at the park. I remember rolling down my window as I neared the water.

I remember bracing myself as the car and I made contact with the water. But what I remember the most vividly was the panic I felt as I saw the water quickly enter the car. I vaguely remember trying to calm myself down, my logical side trying to explain to me it was necessary for this happen so that the pressure inside and outside the car can equalize, which would allow me to open the door. I remember my hands clumsily feeling for the door handle and desperately trying to yank the door open. I remember the door after God knows how long finally opening, and I remember unfastening my seatbelt. I remember pushing myself out of the car and swimming toward I direction a light.

I remember the sweet taste of air. I remember seeing the morning sunlight and the sky. Neither had ever looked so bright before. I remember seeing the running trail that I ran everyday crowded with people. I remember my arms feeling like ten-ton weights as I struggled to swim to shore. I remember feeling the icy water cut through me like a butcher's knife. I remember feeling my eyelids get heavy and my breathing slowing down.

And then I remember darkness.

* * *

Kendall POV

How could such a wonderful morning turn into one of the worst days of my life? After an excruciating (but fun) workout with Jo, I returned home. The smell of scrambled eggs wafted through the room, welcoming me home warmly. My little sister and best friends were gathered around the table, waiting for breakfast to begin.

"Morning, everyone!" I addressed them jovially.

Jumbled sounds that sounded similar to "Morning," were said back to me. I grinned as I sat next to James and Katie.

"Maaaan…I'm starving!"

"You're always starving." Katie retorted.

"You know it!" I laughed, hugging her.

"Wow dude, you're in a really good mood," Carlos stated, smiling. "You're workout with Jo must've gone well."

I was about to reply when the phone rang. Mom put the whisk down and answered "Hello? Knight residence." I heard my mom gasp and she ran to her room with the phone by her ear.

"That was weird," James observed.

"I wonder what happened?" Logan added, looking in the direction my mom had gone in.

Before anyone could voice their opinion, my mom came flying out of her room, her face sheet white. She was shaking uncontrollably as she tried to hang up the phone.

I shot out of my seat and helped her. When the phone was in its placed, I grasped her shoulders. "Mom, what's wrong?"

She exhaled shakily and looked up at me. "I-It's Leigh. Her car was found in the lake this morning."

I felt my knees give out, but I quickly recovered. How was this possible? I _just_ saw her. Suddenly, I felt sick. I held on to the wall next to me for support as I turned to see the others.

Carlos had a look of pure horror on his face. His naturally olive complexion had turned ashen, and I could see tears forming in his eyes.

Katie's eyes were even bigger than normal, and I thought she might start to vomit at any second.

Logan was standing up, his hands clenched at his sides. The muscles in his face were severely strained as he tried to keep the sobs that were threatening to spill out of him at bay.

"I-Is she…" James trailed off, his eyes downcast and head bowed.

"They managed to get her out of the water and she was still breathing and the paramedics are currently trying to wake her up. They said to come as quickly as we could." Mom replied, going back into the kitchen and turning the oven off. We all rushed to the car and sped off toward the park.

* * *

I couldn't help but feel disgusted as I saw the news reporters. My friend almost _died _and these people were broadcasting it like it was the latest in celebrity gossip. I wanted to scream at them to go away, but I knew that wouldn't help anything. Glancing over at the others, I could tell they were sharing similar sentiments.

We were led to the ambulance, where Leigh was getting evaluated. On a way to the park, we received the good news that she had woken up. Eagerly, we reached the doors to the vehicle.

I gasped. There was Leigh, visibly shivering even though she had a large blanket draped around her. For a minute, I didn't even recognize her. She had a long cut on the left side of her forehead, with four butterfly stitches holding the cut together. There was an ugly bruise already forming around the cut, in addition to the bruise that was located on her cheek. She looked up at us, her eyes hollow, seeming to gaze past us and into eternity, her skin impossibly paler. I almost felt ashamed of myself when I noticed her makeup was gone and thought she looked…_pretty_. Natural Leigh was such a startling contrast to the Leigh we knew. She almost looked like an entirely different person.

James was the first to react. He moved away from us and knelt in front of Leigh. Slowly, she moved her gaze toward the boy in front of her. I heard him inhale unsteadily as he leaned forward and enveloped her in a hug.

"Li-Li!" Carlos cried, running to give her a hug as soon as James let go. Logan and I made our way to her, waiting our turn to embrace her. Logan went next, squeezing her tightly, mumbling into her wet hair. I then brought her into my arms, feeling her coldness seep into my clothes. I gently pushed her back and gave her a reassuring smile, patting her shoulders.

"Is she going to be ok?" I looked at my mom, who was eyeing Leigh worriedly as she squeezed Katie's hand tightly.

The paramedic smiled. "She's going to be just fine. With a warm shower and some rest, she'll be back to normal in no time. The stitches will fall off by themselves in a couple of days."

"So can we take her home?" James asked.

"I have cleared her to go, but there's someone who'd like to talk to her."

As if on cue, a police officer walked up to us. "Good morning, I'm Officer Butler," he stated, showing us his badge. "I would like a few words with Miss Gibbs."

Mom spoke up. "Excuse me, Officer Butler? But is there anyway we do this at home? She should change out of her wet clothes before she gets sick."

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my mom? She's so kind and loving toward my friends, even if it meant prolonging police protocol.

Officer Butler sighed, but agreed and my mom gave him our address. James helped Leigh up and escorted her to where we were parked. As we drove home, I kept asking myself, "What happened to Leigh's car?"

* * *

**A/N: So, how was that? Intense enough? If it wasn't, I promise it'll get even more intense. We're about to hit the climax, people! Get excited lol**

**I did want to mention that I did look up how to escape out of car when it's underwater, so if anything sounds weird…blame the website I was using lol. Also, I'm a girl, so if the boys' reactions to hearing about Leigh were kind of weird...my apologies. **

**I'll most likely be updating tomorrow, so be prepared!**


	11. Misunderstood

**A/N: Greetings, all! I'm back with another chapter! I'm glad this story is getting such positive feedback. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. It definitely motivates me. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush...*sigh***Chapter 11: Misunderstood

* * *

Logan POV

As soon as we got back home, Mama Knight ordered Leigh to take a warm shower and change into dry clothes. She made Katie go with her just in case Leigh was worse off than we were led to believe. Presently, Officer Butler was questioning the boys and me individually. Kendall and James were the first two he questioned, and Carlos was up at the moment. I twiddled my thumbs nervously as I waited my turn. What did this cop think he was going to accomplish by talking to us?

I felt my heart begin to pound as soon as Carlos sat down next to me and Officer Butler silently beckoned me to join him. I glanced at Carlos, but his expression was unreadable. Gulping, I slowly stood up and made my way to Officer Butler.

"Would you say Miss Gibbs has a lot of friends?" he asked bluntly as soon as I arrived.

"Umm..no, not really…" I responded, wondering why he was asking.

"If you could describe Miss Gibbs in two words, which words would you use?"

I was puzzled, but replied, "I guess I would describe her as intense and complicated? What's this about, anyways?"

Officer Butler made a few notes in his notebook before saying, "Ok, we're done here."

"Ooookay…" I walked back to where the others were sitting, feeling incredibly confused. "What did any of those questions have to do with the accident?" I mused. "Unless…no, surely he wouldn't think—''

My thoughts were interrupted when the front door opened, revealing a dry Leigh followed by a still wide-eyed Katie.

"Perfect timing, Miss Gibbs," the police officer stated, "Now if you'll just have a seat."

She eyed him warily, but did as she was told. As soon as she sat across from me, Officer Butler addressed her.

"Now Miss Gibbs, could you explain to us, in as much detail as possible, how your car managed to find itself in the middle of a lake?"

Leigh sat there, finding the words to describe her ordeal. "Well," she began, "I was driving to the park to go for a run, like I normally do. I went down the hill to the parking lot when I discovered my brakes weren't working. I took my foot of the gas pedal, but the momentum made the car pick up speed anyways. I remember pressing my car horn." She paused, the memories flooding back to her, "I remember the impact, and how fast the water began entering the car. I remember finally being able to open the car door after what felt like forever, and swimming to the surface."

I gaped at her. How could she be so calm? She seriously could've died, and here she was talking about it like it was something she read in a book? I mean, she didn't cry, hyperventilate…anything. She just sat there, her face the eptiome of apathy.

Officer Butler made a few note sin his notebook once more before speaking. "Miss Gibbs, would you say you're happy with your life?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, her voice adopting a low, threatening quality to it.

Officer Butler pressed on, seeming not to notice her tone, "I've taken the liberty of looking into your files, Miss Gibbs. You're an emancipated minor. In the past two years, you've moved to five different states. About four months ago, you risked your life for someone you didn't even know. It's ok to admit it, you know. There's nothing to be ashamed of…we can get you some help."

"Admit what?" Carlos questioned, clueless as usual.

The cop ignored him, his eyes keen on Leigh, "There are psychiatrists who can help you deal with your suicidal tendencies."

"What?" Kendall and James hollered simultaneously.

I glanced over at Leigh. She made no movement, with the exception of her face contorting into a scowl. "If that were really the case, why would I save myself?"

Officer Butler shrugged. "It's not unusual for people to get scared and chicken out."

I couldn't take it anymore. "This is preposterous!" I shouted. "You don't even know her, how can you make such claims?"

Officer Butler turned to look at me, amused. "Why, from you of course. And the rest of you boys."

James' glare at the officer sharpened. "We _never_ said anything about her being suicidal."

"Maybe not directly," the officer agreed, "but you implied it." He took out his damn notebook again and began flipping back. "Let's see…one of you said she always wears black clothes and black makeup."

Carlos shifted in his seat.

"Two of you alluded to the fact she always gets defensive and belligerent when you ask her personal questions."

Both Kendall and James looked down at their hands, guilt clearly written on their faces.

"And then one of you said she was 'intense' and 'complicated.' Your words, not mine."

"That doesn't mean she's suicidal!" I fired back.

Officer Butler was about to respond, when Leigh interrupted.

"I am not suicidal."

Officer Butler chuckled, his patience with us obviously wearing thin. "Well then, what do you suggest happened, Miss Leigh? A homicide?"

My heart skipped a beat. I hadn't even considered that. Was it possible? Did someone try to kill Leigh?

Leigh wavered momentarily, but then explained, "I haven't had my car serviced for a while. Maybe the brakes were worn out."

"It's possible," the officer conceded, "As we speak, there are people retrieving your car from the water. We'll have someone take a look."

"Then I guess you're done here," she supplied, her voice icy.

Officer Butler seemed taken aback by her statement. Not that I blamed him. I know he just accused her of being suicidal, but still…couldn't that sort of talk be considered assaulting an officer?

I guess not, because the cop recovered from his shock and said, "We'll contact you when we've found something."

"That would be lovely."

Seeing that Leigh was done talking to him, Officer Butler said a gruff goodbye before bolting out the door. Even the mighty LAPD felt intimidated by Leigh. Had this been any other time, I probably would've laughed at the notion.

When the door closed, Mama Knight and Katie came back into the kitchen hesitantly. As soon as the officer began to question Leigh, Mama Knight took Katie out of the room. Smart move, Mama Knight. I guess Mama Knight could tell by our expressions that something bad happened because she asked brightly, "Now, who wants breakfast?" She then began to hum merrily as she started up the frying pan. Clearly, she wanted to drop the subject at hand, like all moms do when things get awkward.

We all sat in silence. No matter how hard I tried, the events of this morning kept popping up in my brain. For what seemed like the millionth time that day, I peeked over at Leigh. Her pristine green eyes had a stormy grey quality to them as she stared ahead of her.

At that moment, I wished I were a mind reader. I wanted to know what was going through that head of hers. Had I known what she was thinking, maybe things wouldn't have ended as disastrously as they did.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this chapter wasn't a let down…I know there wasn't as much action as the last chapter. I do want to say that I know nothing about the signs of suicidal. This is somewhat based off of my personality (I have people from time to time ask me if I'm suicidal...which I'm not.). So, if the "signs" Officer Butler lists are wrong...well, we'll just say he's an idiot, because he totally is! If this chapter didn't do anything for you, I can promise the next chapter will have a lot of twists and turns in it. I'm not sure if I'll be able to update tomorrow, I'm going to be out of town until tomorrow night. If I don't update tomorrow, then expect an update on Monday! Review if you'd like! Thanks again for reading! You guys are awesome.**


	12. Mistakes

**A/N: Hey guys! Yes, I know I'm evil to poor Leigh and the gang. Mwhahahaha! Thank you for sticking with me and reading it, though. I really do appreciate it!**

**I do want to say that if this chapter has more grammar or formatting errors than before, my apologies. I'm on a time crunch today, and I wanted to make sure I got something out in case I couldn't find the time to upload.**

**I also want to say that Leigh's thoughts (particularly in this chapter) don't necessarily reflect my own, and if you personally find yourself struggling in your life, please get help. Anyways, enjoy Chapter 12!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush**

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Chapter 12: Mistakes

Leigh POV

I was pissed. No, scratch that. I was BEYOND pissed. How _dare_ that cop mention the word suicidal? I wanted to slap him and shout to the heavens that there was no way in hell I was suicidal. I could never be suicidal. _Because suicide was too good for me._ I deserved every single bad thing that happened to me, and I will continue to deserve it until the day I die.

Logically, I knew Officer Butler had to bring it up. A vehicle flying into the lake is not a common occurrence, and questions needed to be answered. Is it possible it was just a crazy happenstance? I wanted to believe it was. I really wanted to believe it was just the universe getting back at me for the things I've done. But mostly, I wanted to believe that it wasn't my past trying to rear its ugly, ugly head again.

I hated this façade I masqueraded in. Day in and day out, I lived this lie. Leigh Gibbs, emancipated minor. That's what the world knew me as. I may just crack. Two years pretending was starting to wear my sanity thin.

A ringing sound disrupted my thoughts. I looked down at my cell phone and it read a local number.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Miss Gibbs? It's Officer Butler."

It had been two weeks since the accident. I knew what this phone call was about.

"You found something." I didn't bother inflecting my voice, knowing that I only "asked" out of formality.

Officer Butler paused, as if figuring out the best way to respond. "Yes…it seems that your brake cables were severed. Based on how it was severed, our specialist believes someone cut them."

I felt cold. It couldn't be. I've been careful, this can't be happening. No…no WAY.

"Miss Gibbs? Are you there?"

"What?"

"You didn't answer my question. In light of recent events, I am compelled to ask: do you have any enemies? Anyone who would want you dead?

I didn't want to believe it. I refused to believe it. After two years, there was no way I could've been found. "No, of course I don't," I lied shamelessly. "I have to go, I'm running late for a photo shoot." I hung up before he could respond.

Maybe if I had decided to come clean, _she _would still be here.

* * *

It started with a phone call.

"Leigh?" I heard Kendall say, his voice quivering.

"Kendall? Kendall, what happened? Is everyone alright?"

I heard him sniffle. He somehow managed to compose himself, because his words came out crystal clear. "Leigh…it's Cassandra. She was murdered last night."

My heart stopped. I willed it to start again as I stuttered, "W-what?"

"They…they found her body early this morning. They're currently doing an autopsy, so we don't know anything for sure. But, the police said her throat was slit."

"Are you ok? How are the others?"

He paused, surprised I actually asked. To be honest, I didn't know what compelled me to. "I don't know. We're all taking the news really hard."

I couldn't blame them. Ever since that mini-concert, Cassandra had become a friend, especially to the boys. I know they were grateful to have someone else suffer through Gustavo's wrath. Even Gustavo was starting to warm up to her, at least according to the guys.

"I'm so sorry. You will let me know when the funeral is, right?"

"O-of course."

We said our goodbyes and hung up. I immediately turned on the television to see if the news had gotten wind of the murder. It had.

_**Up and coming recording artist Cassandra Rehn was found murdered this morning in West Hollywood. While little is known about the circumstances surrounding Miss Rehn's passing, the police have divulged that a strange symbol was sliced into her hand. **_

The news anchorwoman continued talking, but I couldn't hear her over the roaring in my ears. There, on the television, was the symbol I have known all my life. I then knew I've messed up royally this time.

_**The police have also stated that they believe this to be the work of a serial killer who has recently surfaced. Prior to Miss Rehn's passing, two other women were found dead with the same symbol engraved into their skin. Police speculate that there is a correlation between each case. We have learned that each woman had blonde hair and green eyes. Each woman was around 5'4" and weighed approximately 120 pounds. The police have issued a warning for all women, but particularly women in the Hollywood area who match this description. **_

Shit. That was the exact description of me. I could only hope that the boys didn't watch this. Because if they had, I know they will never let me out of their sight. I turned the TV off, and stewed in silence. The guilt was killing me.

Once again, I was responsible for someone's death.

* * *

**A/N: Weren't expecting that, were you? Poor Cassandra. Hey, did you guys know there is something called the Cassandra Complex (syndrome)? It stems from a Greek myth about the prophetess Cassandra. Anyways, the Cassandra Complex is (according to Wikipedia): "a term applied to situations in which valid warnings or concerns are dismissed or disbelieved."**

**Fitting, yeah? I didn't even know this complex existed when I picked the name Cassandra. Funny how it worked out, right?**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It gets even** **MORE intense from here on out. Hopefully I'll update tomorrow!**


	13. A Warning Sign

**A/N: Hey, guys! Wow, hard to believe we're already on Chapter 13! Wow. Thank you guys for reading and reviewing, it's such an awesome feeling to know you guys like what I'm writing!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush**

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Chapter 13: A Warning Sign

Leigh POV

I had never been to a funeral before. Well…not until today, that is. It had been a week since Cassandra was found dead. The medical examiner finally released her body, saying the cause of death was the knife slit to her throat, and that the symbol carved into her hand occurred post mortem.

The boys of Big Time Rush and I decided to attend her funeral. For the guys, they went for closure, to pay respects to a friend. I, on the other hand, was going out of guilt. I owed her that much. Of course, I couldn't tell anyone that was the reason.

The funeral was extremely depressing. A sea of black surrounded her gravesite as the preacher began his speech. Random sobs were emitted throughout the mourners as they lowered her coffin into the grave. The sun began to set, and a drizzle fell down from the heavens as the dirt was piled onto Cassandra's resting site. Grievers departed, one by one. Eventually, it was just Cassandra's family and me at her grave. I stepped back and silently waited, trying to not intrude on the family's intimate moment. I'm not sure how much time passed, but after one finally sob, they left and I was the only one remaining. Hesitantly, I made my way to where Cassandra laid. I knelt down next to her headstone, and placed the bouquet of roses I had been holding on to on top of the newly dug grave. I bowed my head, guilt getting the better of me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "I'm so, so sorry."

My thoughts consumed me, and I become oblivious to the world around me. I don't know how long I was there for, but after some time I felt hand on my shoulder. I flinched, finding myself back in reality. Looking for the source, I turned around to see Logan, James, Kendall, and Carlos looking down at me. James' hand moved from my shoulder as he extended it toward me. Gratefully, I accepted his hand as he helped me up. The boys continued to eye me sadly, and judging by the red rings around their eyes, they had only recently stopped crying.

"Are you ok, Li-Li?" Carlos asked, his concern radiating off of him.

I nodded. "How are you guys?"

Logan glanced at the rest of the guys before he responded. "We're coping. Better than you, at least. Don't you realize that it's been three hours since the funeral ended?"

I looked up at the sky, startled by the fact that it was pitch black, save for a couple of stars that littered the night. "Oh, I must've lost track of time," I replied lamely.

Kendall put his arm around me, giving me a reassuring squeeze. "C'mon, let's go home."

* * *

The drive back home was a quiet one. I think it's safe to say that everyone was reflecting on the funeral and how unfair it was that someone so young died in such a brutal way.

We arrived at the Palm Woods, and silently made our way upstairs. I was about to say goodnight to the guys when I noticed something odd.

"I remember locking my door," I stated, pointing to my front door that was currently ajar. _Something is amiss. _Putting my guard up, I made my way to the door. I didn't make it very far because someone grabbed my hand, roughly jerking me backwards. My back pressed up against someone's chest, and an arm wrapped around my waist, keeping my in place.

"What are you doing?" Logan hissed in my ear. "Someone could be in there!"

"Logan's right," Kendall said, his eyes wide. "I'm going to call 911."

At the boys' insistence, we waited for the cops inside apartment 2J. After about fifteen minutes, we heard a rapid knock on the door. The boys jumped, obviously distraught by the current situation. I opened it, revealing none other than…

"Officer Butler," I greeted curtly.

"We've got some officers in your apartment, looks like whoever broke in left," he responded, not bothering with the pleasantries.

I shook my head, and joined Officer Butler outside the hallway. We were about to go inside my apartment, when I detected four presences behind me.

"Why don't you guys stay inside your apartment?" I suggested without looking back at the boys. They began to protest, but were interrupted.

"She's got a point," Officer Butler concurred, noticing the guys behind us. "The less people in there the better." With that, Officer Butler and I entered my apartment, ignoring their objections.

For a moment, I couldn't even believe this was my apartment. I was shocked at what I saw. It looked like a tornado had blown in, leaving a huge mess in its wake. Seeing my apartment in such a state made me feel _violated_. Self consciously, I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling exposed.

"We need you to look around and see if anything's been taken," Officer Butler explained, after giving me a few minutes to process everything.

I acknowledged what he said with a mumble, as I walked around my apartment. My apartment was relatively small so it didn't take too much time to look around. I had searched the majority of my apartment in no time flat, and it appeared nothing was missing. I only had one more place to look: the bedroom. Entering my bedroom cautiously, I did a quick inventory check. I didn't notice anything missing, but I did notice something on my bedside table. In three long strides, I reached the table and picked up the paper, reading its content. As I read, I felt myself grow cold and I began to tremble. Realizing that the cops were still here, I tucked away the piece paper into my purse and returned to where Officer Butler was standing.

"Anything missing?"

I composed myself. "No, everything seems to be accounted for."

Officer Butler made a few notes in his notepad before he called to the policeman searching my apartment, telling them that they were done. As the cops and I walked back out to the hallway, Officer Butler signaled for the other cops to leave. After they were gone, he looked over at me.

"Are you not telling us something?"

I covered my surprise, as I coldly retorted, "No. Why would you think I'm not telling you something?"

Officer Butler lifted his shoulder casually, "Well, it seems a lot of strange events have been occurring lately, and you seem to be in the middle of it." He then stared at me, his gaze hard. If Officer Butler was hoping to get a rise out of me, he was sadly mistaken.

I returned his gaze with a steely one of my own, not backing down. Our staring match lasted until the officer sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, should you discover you are missing anything, you know my number."

"I will," I promised, secretly knowing I'd never call.

He waved and then ambled toward the elevator. He pushed the button, and waited for said elevator to arrive. After about five minutes, the elevator door opened, but Officer Butler lingered. He turned around and eyed me, his expression unreadable.

"Just…be careful, ok?"

I hesitated, but reluctantly answered, "Of course."

He bade me goodnight and walked into the elevator. Moments later, I heard a door bang open and was met with a flurry of words.

"Whoa, calm down guys," I spoke patiently, waiting for the boys to stop talking over one another.

"Was anything taken?" Carlos asked once their simultaneous chattering ceased.

"No, nothing was taken."

"What are you going to do tonight?" James piped up.

My eyes flickered on James. "What do you mean?"

"I think he means…you're not going to sleep in your apartment tonight, are you?" Logan inquired, his voice squeaking at the end of his query.

"Ummm…"

"Of course you won't!" Kendall cut in. "I already asked my mom, and she said you can spend the night."

"But-"

"My mom wouldn't have it any other way," he insisted.

I sighed, rubbing my temple with my finger, knowing that once Kendall had his mind set on something, he would never let it go.

"Fine." I muttered.

The boys cheered as they steered me to my apartment to gather some clothes for the night.

"Damn, Li-Li," Carlos whistled as he surveyed the damage. By the looks on the other three's faces, I deduced that they shared the same sentiment.

I ignored them as I maneuvered around the apartment, going into my bedroom to gather some pajamas and my toothbrush. In a matter of minutes, the boys and I were out of my apartment and inside theirs. As soon as we entered 2J, Mrs. Knight hugged me.

"Oh, you poor, poor dear!" she exclaimed. "You must be scared!"

"Umm…thanks for letting me stay here tonight," I responded, uncomfortable by the physical touch. Sensing my discomfort, Mrs. Knight let me go and smiled sympathetically.

"Boys, it's time for bed. You have an early day tomorrow," she ordered, entering mother mode. She sent me a concerned glance. "And I'm _sure_ Leigh's exhausted."

The boys griped, but did as she advised. I offered them a sympathetic good night, for which I was rewarded with a chorus of farewells. Mrs. Knight handed me a pillow and few blankets, and I made myself comfortable on their couch.

I tried to fall asleep, but I wasn't successful. I kept thinking about the note I found. And as much as I didn't want to, I knew what I had to do.

* * *

**A/N: So, there's Chapter 13! Did you like it? Are you getting more and more curious with each chapter? I hope so! I might have to slow down my updates, because I've decided to change a few things about the story. I was discussing this story with my best friend, and she and I both agreed my original idea wasn't entirely plausible. So, I'm trying to figure out how to make it more realistic. My apologies in advance.**

**Anyways, review if you'd like! **


	14. King of Anything

**A/N: Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! It really helps inspire me to write faster. I hope you guys like the newest chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush**

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Chapter 14: King of Anything

Leigh POV

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to come with us?" Logan asked for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, I'm fine…you guys go on ahead," I insisted exasperatedly. My patience was wearing thin.

The boys looked at each other, having a silent conversation with their eyes. I knew they were still concerned about the break in at my apartment last night. Seeing that they were still uncertain about leaving me alone for the evening, I gave them my best attempt at a reassuring smile.

"Guys, really. I'm fine. Go enjoy the movie."

That seemed to assuage their hesitations somewhat. The boys looked at each other once more, a silent agreement seeming to form. James then stared at me warily.

"Ok," he began tentatively, "But you _promise_ to call us if you need anything?"

Triumphant, I replied, "I promise."

Satisfied with my response, the boys and I exchanged our goodbyes and they left. Their concern for me was incredibly sweet, and once again I almost felt guilty for lying to them and going behind their backs. But as I looked down at the note I found last night, I knew I was doing the right thing. I waited a few minutes, giving the boys enough time to leave the premises. After about twenty minutes, I headed to my car and drove into the night.

**

* * *

**

I found it ironic that he wanted to meet me here, of all places. Madam Wok's. This restaurant held a lot of memories for me, even though I only discovered it a few months ago. It was the place where I found a small amount of income when I lost my job. It was the place where James and I went on our "date." It was the place where I could go and no one would ask me questions about myself. It was my sanctuary, and this bastard was going to ruin it for me.

He wanted to meet me in the alleyway behind Madam Wok's. But unfortunately, in order to get there, I had to pass by the restaurant's glass front door. Deciding there was no time like the present, I walked quickly past the restaurant, hoping my "boss" wouldn't see me. Not hearing anyone come out of the restaurant, I made my way down the alley. I couldn't see anyone, but I knew I needed to stay on my toes. I heard something move from behind me, and before I could react I felt one arm wrap around my midsection and another arm placing something pointy at my throat. It didn't take me long to realize it was a knife. My assailant began to lightly drag the knife across my flesh, and I felt something wet drip down my throat. Not wasting anymore time, I chose to play dirty. I chomped down on what I hoped was my adversary's flesh. Thankfully, I heard a masculine voice curse, dropping his knife in recoil. Seizing the opportunity, I mule kicked him, causing him to stumble back a few feet. He backed up into the wall, and slid down it. I grabbed the knife and ran toward the man, aiming the blade toward his throat. He looked up at me, and began to laugh.

"So…little Sparrow has come out to play," a deep, familiar voice sang.

"Do _not _call me that," I snarled, not taking his bullshit. I tossed the knife aside, knowing that it was no longer necessary. My throat ached, and I touched it with the tips of my fingers. Blood appeared on my fingers, but luckily it wasn't very much.

The fellow in question stood up, rubbing his head. "Now, now…calm down. Is that any way to treat your big brother?"

"It is when you decide to attack me under the cover of nightfall. I got your note, Aidan…now _talk._" I barked, informing him that I would be the one in charge of our little conversation tonight.

"As feisty as ever, I see," Aidan quipped. "And you already know why I'm here."

I stood firm, crossing my arms across my chest. "I'm not coming back."

"Don't be foolish. We all know you're in deep shit. If you keep running around like this, you're gonna get yourself killed."

"I've taken care of myself for the past two years. I don't _need_ you, so why don't you just—"

_SLAP!_

I felt myself stagger a few steps, and I placed my hand on my cheek. Tears were threatening to fall, but I fought them off.

"It would behoove you to remember your place," Aidan stated, his voice void of any emotion. Flashes of my childhood began to stir in my brain. I shook my head, successfully banishing the memories. Gaining my confidence back, I sneered at my brother.

"What 'place'? I left remember? I don't have to answer to you anymore."

My brother exhaled audibly. "Believe it or not, we're family. And regardless of what you do, we'll always _be _family. And family takes care of every single member, no matter how obstinate he or _she_ can be."

"I don't care. I will never come home. _Ever_."

He didn't seem impressed. "Oh, really? And I suppose you don't care if your little friends end up like that Cassandra girl, do you? Let's see…what was their band's name again? Big Time Goners?"

I snapped and charged at him, ready to beat the living daylights out of him. As soon as I reached him, Aidan simply sidestepped, grabbing my arm and flipping me onto the ground. I landed on the ground in a crumpled heap, pain shooting up my right arm. Shakily, I pushed myself off the ground, gritting my teeth at the stinging sensation that resulted from my action.

"You're letting your feelings for these boys cloud your logic. And a sound mind is key to survival," he chastised.

I glared at him, even though I knew the dim lighting hid it.

"You know I speak the truth," he continued, "these boys are doing you no good. You've let them soften you, and now you've slipped up. He's _found _you. Why else do you think he killed your friend Cassandra and those other girls? Severed your brakes so that you'd go flying into the lake? He wants you to _suffer_. And you and I both know his next step will be to go after your precious little boy band. Just come home, it's safer for everyone involved."

He was right. I've outstayed my welcome, and it was time for me to get the hell out of Dodge. I've ruined too many people's lives with my selfishness.

"You listen, and listen well," I ordered, "_I _will save myself. Not _you_. I would rather drop _dead_ than accept help from the likes of you." I explained, making my voice as menacing as possible.

"You always were proud," Aidan stated, "I'll tell you what. Go back to the Palm Woods and think about it. I'll come for you in two day's time."

I didn't respond. Taking my silence as an agreement, he approached me, placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Be careful, baby sister," he admonished gravely. He then let go, and walked away, disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

Carlos POV

"Man, that movie was awesome!" I exclaimed as we exited the movie theatre. The other boys bobbed their heads vigorously in agreement.

"But I'm still worried about Leigh," Logan sadly stated.

"Me too," James added, looking distressed.

"Well, she never did call any of us, right?" Kendall tried to reason, but it was easy to see he was just as concerned as the rest of us. I noticed the other boys look down at their phones, affirming Kendall's statement. I looked down at my phone and gasped.

"Holy crap!"

The other boys eyed me worriedly. "What?" they all cried.

"I…I missed fifteen phone calls," I scrolled through my phone hastily, "and they're all from my dad."

"Your dad?" Logan echoed. "Why did he call you?"

I began to panic. "I dunno." I rapidly dialed my dad's number and waited impatiently for him to answer.

"Hello?" I heard my dad's voice say.

"Dad, is everything ok?" I blurted out, scared of the reason why he called.

He hesitated. "I'm afraid not, son."

I tried to calm myself down. "W-what's wrong?"

"It's your friend, Leigh," he sighed.

I remained silent, waiting for him to go on. My father's voice sounded strained, but he continued.

"As you already know, Leigh has found herself in a few sticky situations recently. In light of all of this, we've dug deeper into her files, and discovered a few things. The first thing we found out was the fact that her social security is not hers. We have reason to believe she stole it from a dead woman in Massachusetts."

"You're saying she's impersonating a dead person?" I interrupted, not believing my ears. Out of my peripheral, I saw James, Logan, and Kendall's mouths drop open, not believing what I just said.

"There's more, Carlos," my father began again, "but I'm afraid what little we do know about her doesn't make sense. Do you know where she is? We really need to get her to sort things out for us."

"Umm…she should be at the Palm Woods," I informed him. "That's where we saw her last."

For what seemed like the millionth time, my father sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that. We've already checked her apartment and the rest of the Palm Woods. Carlos, she isn't there."

My heart stopped beating. "Y-you can't f-find her?" I stammered. I heard my friends inhale sharply as they launched into a whispered conversation amongst themselves.

"Carlos, you need to tell me the truth. Do you know where else she could've gone? She could be in grave danger."

I felt the room spin. "What danger?"

"You mean you don't know?"

I was starting to get frustrated. "No Dad, I have absolutely _no clue_ what you're talking about! Why could she be in danger?"

"I forget you don't watch the news. Carlos, there's been a serial killer on the loose, the same one who we believe killed your friend Cassandra. You see, we believe he's targeting certain types of girls: blonde hair, green eyes, medium height and weight."

"That sounds like Leigh!" I nearly screamed at the realization.

"But Carlos, that's the not the only thing," my dad said once again, sounding like a broken record "You remember her 'accident' at the park? Right before Cassandra's death, we called Leigh with our findings. We have reason to believe someone deliberately severed her brake cables. We believe someone wants Leigh dead. And we think whoever that may be is connected to the serial killer."

Were it not for the fact that my adrenaline was working on overtime at this point, I might have passed out.

"Dad, I honestly don't know where else she could be," I said, "but we'll try her cell phone and call you if we find anything." I hung up and turned to my friends, who looked at me anxiously. I quickly summarized what my dad told me. Each boy had a look of complete horror. Logan leaned against the wall, his face pale. James looked like he was about to vomit and Kendall began to pace back and forth.

"What are we gonna do?" I whimpered.

"We're going to find her, that's what!" Kendall yelled, his eyes bright with determination.

"But where do we start looking? It's a big city, we'll never find her," Logan reasoned miserably.

James snapped his fingers. "I know where we can look."

Logan, Kendall, and I stared at him, surprised. I recovered first.

"I'll call my dad back."

"No!" Logan shouted. "There's no time. By the time we get the cops involved, it could be too late."

James began to run. "Follow me!" he called over shoulder. The rest of us sprinted behind him, hoping we'd find her before it was too late.

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh…we're getting closer and closer to the truth! Think you can handle it? LOL**

So, like I said in the previous chapter, I'm making a few alterations to this story. So, from here on out, I have NO CLUE what's going to happen. I mean, I have an idea…but we'll see.

Anyways, thanks again for reading and please review if you'd like!


	15. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

**A/N: Heeeey…guys. I know, it's been a while since I've updated. I'm pretty sure this is the longest I've gone without updating. So, sorry! Without further ado, here's chapter 15!Disclaimer: I do not own anything **Chapter 15: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

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James POV

"Where are we?" Logan panted.

"Madam Wok's," I huffed, "This is where Leigh hangs out on Friday nights."

I could sense three pairs of eyes on me. "And _how_ do you know this?" Carlos asked.

"Well…I never told you guys, but Leigh and I sorta went on a fake date here about two months ago."

"WHAT?" my friends bellowed.

I winced. "It's a long and complicated story…"

"Focus people!" Kendall commanded. "James can tell us the story later. Right now, we _need _to find Leigh. Do you really think she could be here?"

"It's our best chance," I replied.

With that, the four of us barged into the restaurant, frantically scanning the room.

Carlos' face fell. "She's not here." The others looked just as discouraged. I was about to suggest calling her again, when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around, and discovered an old woman who looked vaguely familiar.

"I know you. You friend with Leigh, yes?" she asked in broken English.

I nodded eagerly. "Yes we all are. Have you seen her tonight? We really need to find her and—''

The old woman held up her hand, silencing me. "I see her, yes."

Logan jumped in to the conversation. "Did she come in here? How long ago? Did you see where she went?"

I shushed him, and waited eagerly for the old woman to respond.

"She not come in, no. I see her outside, go that way," she replied, pointing to her left.

"Thank you, madam," Kendall said, as he made his way toward the front door. The rest of us thanked the woman quickly and followed our fearless leader.

"How far do you think she got?" Carlos asked as soon as we were all outside.

I sighed, frustrated. "Who knows? I—''

I never got to finish my sentence, because we heard footsteps coming from the alley. Wide-eyed, we all began walking toward the sound. The sound became louder, and under the light of a nearby streetlamp, I saw something that made my heart plummet to my stomach.

"Leigh!" Kendall cried, relief and concern flooding out of his voice.

There, under the dim glow, stood our missing friend. For a moment, nobody moved, the shock of actually finding her proving to be overwhelming. My eyes began to adjust to the dim light, and I noticed her injuries. She was paler than usual, which made the bruise on her cheek stand out even more. She clutched her right arm against her chest, and I feared it was what my blood run cold was the blood I saw dripping down her throat.

Logan was the first to react. He ran to her and helped her sit on the ground.

"Somebody call 911," he ordered. I got out my phone and was about to dial the numbers when Leigh began to shout.

"No! Don't call _anyone_."

I looked at Logan, not knowing what I should do. He appeared conflicted, but he shook his head, indicating I refrain from calling for now. We needed her to trust us.

"Leigh, I need to look at your throat. Is that okay?" Logan asked gently.

I was somewhat comforted by the defiance that flashed in her eyes. But she did relent, and gingerly angled her neck so Logan could check. He leaned in closer to inspect her wound. To my relief, I saw Logan's face visibly relax.

"It's long, but not deep," he breathed."We just need to apply some pressure to stop the bleeding," Logan then inspected Leigh's arm, and once again the prognosis was positive. "I'm pretty sure your wrist isn't broken, just sprained. Are you sure you don't want get checked out by a professional?"

"I'm positive." With a shaky hand, Leigh dug into the pocket of her jeans. She pulled out her car keys. "My car isn't too far from here," she stated, "we can use it to get us back to the Palm Woods." She then handed him her keys.

"You're the only one I trust to drive my car," she attempted to joke.

It fell flat. Logan stood up and signaled to Kendall to help her up. Together, the five of us made our way to Leigh's car. Fortunately, we found her car with little trouble. Logan unlocked the car and helped us get Leigh into the backseat. Once Kendall and I were in the backseat with Leigh in between us, Carlos and Logan jumped into their seats and we drove home.

**

* * *

**

As much as I loved Mama Knight, I was really glad she and Katie left for Minnesota earlier today. Apparently, one of Kendall's second cousins was getting married and asked for Katie to be the flower girl or something. The point was that there two less people at the apartment, therefore two less people to explain the situation to.

It was around midnight, so luckily we didn't run into anyone in the Palm Wood's lobby. We managed to get Leigh into our apartment without seeing anyone, for which we were all very grateful.

Carlos draped a towel over the couch and Kendall set Leigh on top of it. We were all relieved that she was still conscious. Logan hovered over her, pressing washcloths on her neck. We all waited, unsure of what else to do. Logan continued to apply pressure to her wound, and after what felt like forever, Leigh stopped bleeding. Seeing that she was no longer bleeding, Logan cleaned her throat carefully and then began to wrap her wrist with an ace bandage. After that, Logan ushered her into his bedroom. He came out moments later, his face weary. He plopped down on the couch, burying his head in his hands. The rest of us joined him on the sofa, unsure of how best to approach the subject at hand.

"What do you think happened?" Carlos spoke up.

Kendall laughed bitterly. "Who knows? But I bet if we asked, she'll lie about it."

I sighed, becoming infuriated. "Why does she feel the need to lie all the time? I mean, we've known her for months now…I say we call her out on her lies! I'm tired of pretending everything's ok."

"But if we confront her, we risk the chance that she'll shut down completely," Logan rationalized.

"Well, I think that if we _don't_ confront her, she could very well end up dead. You heard Carlos' father. This is not just some average _I'm-a-teenager-I-need-privacy_ routine. Whatever Leigh is mixed up in, it's _big_.

"James is right," Kendall chimed in. "We aren't helping her by ignoring it. We need to try a different tactic."

* * *

Leigh POV

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I wasn't in my took me a few minutes, but eventually I remembered what transpired the night before. I groaned, knowing that today would _not_ end well. I walked over to the door, and inhaled deeply. Mentally preparing myself, I opened the door.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, four heads turned and faced me. "_Shit,_" I thought to myself. I decided it would be best to play dumb.

I acknowledged the four boys casually. "Morning."

I was met with silence as the guys continued to stare me down. Clearing my throat, I ambled over to the door.

"Thanks for letting me sta—''

"Sit. Down," Kendall seethed, his voice taking a tone that I had never heard before. Obligingly, I did as he asked and sat across from the four of them. Minutes ticked by, and yet no one said anything. I was growing impatient.

"Are you guys going to say anything? Because if you aren't—''

"Li-Li…what happened last night?" Carlos asked, breaking the silence.

I shrugged, trying to play off last night's encounter. "Someone tried to mug me."

"Liar!" James exclaimed, "Why can't you just tell us the truth?"

"Look, I don't know what you're—"

I was interrupted once again, but this time it was by Logan. "Don't play dumb with us. We received an interesting call from Officer Garcia last night. They dug deeper into your records…we all know that you stole some woman's social security. We also know that someone _deliberately _severed your brake cables, quite possibly trying to _kill _you. And most importantly, we know about the serial killer and how he's been targeting people who look like you. Leigh, we're not idiots. You're in danger, and you're hiding it from us. Why?"

My brother was right…I have become messy. I was trapped, the evidence being thrown in my face. There was no way I could refute it. So I did the next best thing.

I denied it.

"I'm not hiding anything from you."

"We're your friends, Leigh…please trust us," Kendall pleaded.

I then did something I would regret for the rest of my life.

"We aren't _friends._ I never wanted to have anything to do with you guys. So, why don't you do us all a favor and _back off._"

The look of betrayal that each boy donned on his face broke my heart. I wanted to kick myself for hurting them so badly, but I knew it was in their best interest. Not waiting for anyone to recover from what I said, I stood up and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind me. I ran all the way to my car, knowing that it was time for me to leave. As I drove away from the Palm Woods, I did something that I hadn't done since Eric's death.

I cried.

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**A/N: So…what'd you think? Don't worry, we still have a few chapters left in this story, and I promise everything will be answered soon. My aunt is coming into town for a week, so it might be a while until I update next. Sorry in advance!**


	16. Invisible

**A/N: Hey, guys! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing…it makes me feel all good inside! I wrote this chapter differently…after hearing this song I just had this need to incorporate it into this very chapter. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own either BTR nor the song "Invisible" by the Jonas Brothers**

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Chapter 16: Invisible

? POV

**I can feel you all around**

"_We aren't friends. I never wanted to have anything to do with you guys." _

I felt my heart shatter into a million little pieces when I heard her say that. My brain went blank, and for a moment I couldn't even function. All I could do was watch her leave the apartment…leave my life.

**In the silence, I hear the sound**

**Of your footsteps on the ground**

**And my heart slows down**

The others looked just as shock as I felt. I knew none of us believed what she said. The look in her eyes was one of pain and sorrow, not one of anger and malice. But her words still struck us deep, like a rusty dagger.

After what felt like eternity, the guys and I snapped out of our trance. Wordlessly, we all went inside her apartment, hoping that we'd find her there. We didn't.

**So now I'm**

As a group, we decided to give her time, praying that she'd come to her senses and let us help her. Two days passed and she never came back. We'd set a plate for her during every meal, hoping she'd show up and things would be normal again. But we neither saw nor heard from her. It was as if she only existed in our memory…like some spectre. We were becoming worried. What if she was in trouble…hurt? Or maybe even…

**I'm waiting for the moonlight **

**So I can find you in this perfect dream**

None of us wanted to think about it. But we knew it was something we had to consider. We called the police, hoping that maybe they had found her. They hadn't. That night, in one final attempt to save her, the boys and I searched the city.

**Don't think that you can hide there in the shadows**

**Girl you're not invisible**

We divided ourselves into two groups of two. My partner and I took the west side; the others searched the east. Desperately, we cried out her name…but to no avail. I looked over to my friend, fear and sadness etched on his face. As we explored every nook and cranny, my mind began to drift.

**You're all that I can see**

For the past two days, I could only think of her. Her face, her eyes…the smiles she thought no one saw appear on her face. The way she'd laugh at us when we did something stupid. The way she'd always get us out of a jam when we found ourselves knee deep in a predicament. The way my heart fluttered when she looked at me, the sparks I felt when she touched me.

I nearly fell over as I realized the truth. _I love Leigh_.

I wanted to kick myself for not recognizing it sooner. Morbidly, I wondered if I'd ever get the chance to tell her.

**Girl you're not invisible**

Glancing down at my watch, I felt my heart sink. We'd been at this for two hours already and we've come up with nothing. Not even Madam Wok had seen Leigh. I was losing hope, and I was losing it fast. And by the look on my friend's face, he was starting to give up as well.

**Girl you're not invisible**

**You're all that I can see**

I started to say something to him, to encourage him to continue looking; when I felt two strong hands grab me, jerking me backwards. I heard a scream to my left, and knew my companion was in the same bind as I was. My "fight or flight" response kicked in as I struggled against my foe's grasp. For a moment, my assailant's hold on me weakened. But then, quick as a flash, his grip strengthened and I felt him shove something against my mouth, forcing me to inhale. I tried to fight back, but it was useless. Against my volition, I felt myself growing more and more tired. Darkness began to creep into my line of vision, enveloping me in a world of oblivion.

**And my heart slows down**

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**A/N: Mwhahahahaha…evil cliffhanger of DOOM. So…which boy realized they love Leigh? Let me know whose POV you think this is in! After writing this chapter, I think I know who I want Leigh to end up with. But I definitely want to hear who you think she should be with! **

**If the lyrics are messed up, blame the Internet! These were the lyrics I found, so I have nothing to do with the inaccuracies. And I do realize I left out a verse and a lot of the chorus…I hope it doesn't annoy you too much. It was the only way I could think of doing it. **

**Again, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but I'll do it as soon as I can! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the latest installment of Big Time Mystery! **


	17. Danger Zone

**A/N: Wow. Chapter 16 is officially the most review chapter out of any of my stories! Thanks, guys! Keep it up lol. Anyways, I was glad to see that you guys were divided on who Leigh should be with. It means I'm doing my job well and the guy I put her with won't seem random. Ok, so I know you aren't for the author's note, so let's just get to the story, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush**

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Chapter 17: Danger Zone

Leigh POV

I had left the Palm Woods less than seventy-two hours ago and I already missed the boys dearly. As much as it hurt to be away from them, I knew I was protecting them. Or at least I thought I was.

I was walking the streets of Burbank, trying to figure out how exactly I'd surive in this city. In my haste, I left everything I owned back in my apartment at the Palm Woods. My money, my camera...all of it. And there was no way I'd go back for any of it. Deep in thought, my peripheral vision nearly missed the images that were playing on the television screen inside the electronic store I was passing by. Focusing my attention on the screen, I felt my heart rate accelerate. There, on the television, were four very familiar faces floating above a very horrifying caption.

_**BIG TIME RUSH IS BIG TIME GONE?**_

I rushed inside the store, ignoring the owner's protest as I turned up the volume on the television.

_**Hollywood seems to be under a spell of bad luck. On the heels of a murder comes another tragic story. We have received reports that the newcomer band Big Time Rush has gone missing. Police say they received an anonymous phone call at 2 am this morning. The caller, whose voice the police say was disguised, repeated the phrase "Lex Talionis," for several minutes, before abruptly hanging up. Police state that the call came from a cell phone in West Hollywood that belongs to one, Carlos Garcia. Signs of a struggle are evident. Whether or not the perpetrator wanted the police to find the phone is still uncertain.**_

A familiar emotion ran over me: guilt. If I had left earlier, _they _wouldn't have kidnapped my friends. Lex Talionis…the law of retaliation…an eye for an eye. The message couldn't have been any clearer. They discovered the one thing that would drag me out of the shadows and back into the light. I no longer possessed a choice; I must go face them. It was time to shed this lie I had cocooned myself into and to assume my real identity once more. And I was going to need help.

I ran out of the store, frantically trying to find a payphone. To my relief, I found one just a few feet away. Arriving in front of the payphone, I thrusted my hand into my pocket, hoping to find some coins.

I did. Shoving the coins into the phone, I rapidly dialed a number I knew all too well. The consequences for this call would be great, but if I could get the guys home safely, then the price was well worth it. The phone rang twice, before being picked up by the receiver.

"Hey, it's me," I stated, not bothering with the pleasantries.

These three simple words have sealed my fate; my soul now belonging to the devil.

**

* * *

**

Logan POV

I woke up, feeling incredibly groggy. I forced my eyes open, immediately regretting it as I felt immense pain explode inside my head. Unsuccessfully, I tried to move my arms and legs. Panicking, it took me a few moments to realize that I was tied up against a wall. I heard a chorus of moans and groans next to me, and to my relief (and concern) I saw my three friends, bound and tied up next to me. Apparently, I was the first to regain conciousness.

Carlos was situated next to me and James. He raised his head, looking from me to our two friends on his other side.

"Are you guys ok?" he asked, wincing at the pain I could only assume came from the shiner he was sporting on his left eye. I looked from him to the others, who also had several cuts and bruises on them. Other than that, everybody looked fine, thankfully.

"Yeah," I heard Kendall croaked, "I think so." I saw James gingerly shake his head, confirming that he was ok, as well.

"Anyone wanna guess how we ended up here?" James asked, trying to keep the fear from his voice.

"Beats me," I replied, attempting to stay calm, "The last thing I remember is—''

The sound of a huge door opening interrupted me. As I watched five shadows approach us, I realized that we were inside a really big and really dim room. My guess was that we were inside some abandoned warehouse. Question is...where was the warehouse located?

The figure in the middle, clearly male and clearly the leader, held up his hand, causing the others to stop walking.

"So, you're awake," he said, a smirk appearing on his face. I wanted to hit him and wipe that smirk of his face.

"What do you want with us?" Kendall demanded, his voice deep and threatening.

The man chuckled, "Dear boy…it's not you I'm interested in. No, it's _who _will come for you, that I'm interested in."

Before we could ponder over his cryptic statement, one of the four goons came up to him, talking to him in a languge I was not familiar with. Our captor's smirk grew wider and more malevolent.

"Excellent," he purred. He then looked back at the four of us, "Looks like you four have served your purpose well."

I then heard the door open again. Looking over it at, I saw a lone silhouette appear. The figure, definitely smaller than the others, walked towards us at a frightening pace. When the figure stopped in front of the man, I could finally make out who it was. I gasped, not believing that I was seeing her here.

"Leigh?"

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**A/N: I know, I know…another cliffhanger. I'm sorry! But I promise, we're ALMOST there. I haven't written it out yet, but the gameplan is two (possibly three) more chapters until you learn everything about Leigh's past. I'm so excited and I hope you are, too. Anyways, I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'll try to write as fast as I can. I hoped you liked it! Thanks for reading, and review if you so desire.**


	18. How to Save a Life

**A/N: So, we've passed the 50 reviews mark! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Wow, this is the first of my stories to do so. **

**Now…on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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Chapter 18: How to Save a Life

Leigh POV

I heard the boys call my name, their voices full of shock and confusion. Quickly, I assessed their condition. They were worse for wear, but they'd live. I shifted my focus from them to the man who imprisoned them.

"Sparrow…you actually came," the man said, his eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning, "I wouldn't have recognized you were it not for that _pendant_ you still wear around your neck." He said the last part as if it tasted of poison. Self-consciously, I touched the stone on the necklace.

"You did a really stupid thing, Frankie," I objurgated, "Don't you realize how much publicity you've brought yourself by taking them? You have the whole world's attention now."

"Including yours," he declared smugly.

"Including mine," I conceded, "And you have me here, as well." I jerked my thumb in the boys' direction, "They fulfilled their role, so why don't you just let them go?"

"It's like you don't even know me at all," he replied, feigning offense, "Now why would I let them go when the point was to make you suffer?" He then snapped his fingers. Wordlessly, one of the goons approached Carlos and delivered a mighty punch to his gut. I saw Carlos start coughing, and to my dismay, blood began to drip down his chin.

I had to think on my feet. "Because," I began, "We both know that ultimately you want to kill me."

I then reached inside my pocket, and before anyone could react, I pulled out a dagger, pointing it at my heart. Frankie's eyes grew wide, and I heard the boys scream at me, their words unintelligible.

"And if I die of my own accord…well, what satisfaction will you get from it?" Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. And while I hated to do this in front of my friends, it was absolutely necesssary.

"You wouldn't," he hissed.

"Wouldn't I?" I shot back. I moved the dagger's position from my heart to my wrist. Inconspicuously, I held my breath before dragging the blade across my wrist. I gritted my teeth at the pain, but continued until a steady stream of red appeared. The boys' screams became louder, but the pounding in my ears prohibited me from hearing the words they were saying.

Pushing my injured arm against my stomach, I repositioned the bloodied dagger to my heart, my eyes locked on Frankie, daring him to make his move.

Frankie returned my gaze, debating whether or not I'd actually have the guts to kill myself. Deciding the risk wasn't worth it, he looked at his cronies.

"Release them, and escort them out," he growled, obviously not pleased with the power he had just given me.

His four buffoons complied, releasing the boys from their bondages. Each man firmly grabbed a boy, steering them toward the door. I watched sadly as all four of the guys tried to break free, calling ou t to me as they did so.

"Leigh, don't!" Kendall exclaimed, his eyes incredibly big.

"Li-Li!" Carlos wailed, tears pouring down his cheeks.

James and Logan both flailed and struggled the hardest, giving their all to escape.

It took all of my willpower to keep my brave face on. I smiled at them encouragingly, hoping they'd believe everything would be okay. But, the truth was, if all goes according to plan, this would be the last time I saw them.

The eight of them file out of the room, slamming the door behind them. For a moment, all was still. Then, Frankie turned to me, his eyes narrowed at me.

"I held up my end of the bargain. Now, hand your dagger over."

I held it firmly in my hands. "I'm going to need some proof that they are ok first."

My advesary shook his head slowly. "Wily as ever. I'm sure your father would be proud."

I remained silent, my grip on the dagger tightening in response. Frankie took no notice, for he simply pulled out a remote from his pocket and pushed a button. A gigantic monitor descended toward us. Once it stopped its movement, Frankie pushed another button and the screen came to life. On it, I saw my four friends, looking lost and scared, but otherwise fine.

I coughed, and chucked the knife in Frankie's direction. It landed right in front of his feet, mere inches from his shoes. He paid no mind to my belligerence, and swiftly picked up the dagger. Twirling it in his fingers, he began to cackle.

"You are a foolish girl. You knew coming here would spell disaster for you, and yet you still came. Do you _have _a death wish?"

"Better this than spending the rest of my life being chased by some a-hole like you," I retorted.

His smirk was wiped off his face. The corners of my lips curved upwards as a result of his actions. I felt my resolve solidify.

"And what will you do after you finish me off?" I continued, "go after everyone else involved? Where will your revenge end?"

"Do _not _question me, child," Frankie seethed, "I _will _get my vengenance, and it begins here with you, right _now_."

"That's why I thought you'd say," I stated jauntily. I shoved my good arm into my pocket, fingering the small remote I carried in there. Before Frankie could even question what I was doing, I pushed the lone button.

* * *

James POV

"We _can't _just leave Leigh in there!" Kendall exclaimed, looking back at the warehouse worriedly.

Logan ran his fingers through his hair, clearly upset. "Well, how do you propose we get back in there? That man has people all over the place. We'd never get passed them!"

I felt my heart sink. "We can't," I remarked, defeated, "It's impossible!" Angry, I kicked at the ground, causing a dirt clod to disintergrate.

Carlos was about to say something, when we heard rustling nearby. We ceased our movements, eyes glued to where we heard the sound, preparing ourselves to fight if necessary. Out of a bush to our left, two figures emerged.

"Do not be alarmed, we're here to help you," one of them, a man, said. He held his arms in the air, showing he possessed no weapon.

"And why should we believe you?" Kendall fired back, making it apparent he didn't trust either of these people.

"Do you even know where you are?" the man's companion, a female, inquired, "Do you know how to find your way back home?"

"Well…no," Carlos responded, realizing just how lost we were.

"But we can't leave!" Logan cried, "Not without our friend. She's still in that warehouse." I bobbed my head furiously, agreeing with my friend.

The two strangers exchanged a glance, one that made my heart skip a beat. _They know something._

I stared at the two of them. "Who are you guys any—"

KABOOM! The ground shook violently, causing us all to fall to the ground. My mind began to race…what just happened?

I heard a scream, and saw that it belong to Logan. His normally light skin grew impossibly pale, his gaze of horror directed at the warehouse behind us. I rotated my head, to see what he was looking at, as did everyone else. I felt the world spin, as my brain picked up on the scene I encountered. The warehouse was on fire…that boom we heard and felt was an explosion. Inside the warehouse…where Leigh was.

"LEIGH!"

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**A/N: I promise…everything will be revealed in two chapters! I PROMISE. You guys seriously have no idea how excited I am. I'm sooo excited. **

**So, I'm thinking there's going to be about four (possibly five) more chapters til this story is done with. We are almost there, people! Prepare yourselves. ;)**

**Anyways, let me know what you thought about this chapter! Do you totally hate me? **

**Thanks again for reading! :)**


	19. Recovery

**A/N: So, you guys are amazing. Seriously. You guys have given me so much support and positive feedback. And it means the world to me. So, thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own BTR**

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Chapter 19: Recovery

Leigh POV

BEEP….BEEP…

"Uhhh…not again," I thought to myself miserably, my eyes still shut tight. I was once again engaged in a war with the beeping noise, and once again, the beeping noise won. With a sigh, I opened my eyes, and my theory was confirmed.

I was in the hospital. Again.

"How did I even survive?" I wondered. I wasn't given much time to reflect upon it, for the door to my room swung open, revealing a frail-looking nurse. She approached me carefully, her brown eyes filled with relief.

"You're awake," she breathed, "how are you feeling?"

I blinked, unable to respond due to the breathing tube that was currently embedded in my throat.

The nurse giggled. "Oh silly me, you still have that tube down your throat. You must be _extremely _uncomfortable. You'll have to forgive me; I'm new here."

When she removed the God forsaken tube from my throat, she smiled brightly. "There…all better. I'm going to let the doctor know you're awake; he should be in here momentarily."

True to her word, in seven minutes exactly, a familiar man walked into my room.

"Long time no see, Dr. Stewart," I rasped, my voice sounding incredibly scratchy.

I tried to hide my amusement as I witnessed Dr. Stewart's eyes widen in surprise. He quickly looked down at his file before looking back at me.

"Last time you were in here," he said, "you were mute."

I smiled at him sheepishly. "Long story."

Dr. Stewart merely shrugged his shoulders, clearly used to weirder things happening while on the job. Checking his file once more, he began to inform me of my condition.

"Well, Miss Gibbs, you are incredibly lucky for surviving," he started, "In fact, you are the only one who did."

I felt the familiar sensation of my stomach knotting, the guilt making itself known once more. Keeping my face void of emotion, I watched the doctor, silently telling him to continue.

"That being said, you have a long recovery ahead of you**.** You have multiple second-degree burns on your torso. You also have multiple fractures in both your arms. But the thing that will take the longest to heal is your leg. When you were emitted into the hospital, the bones in your left leg were completely shattered. We did the surgery, and your leg was successfully repaired. Needless to say, you are on an excessive amount of morphine right now."

I nodded in response, conveying that I understood what he said.

"You have a couple of visitors. I told them that they may see you if you were up to it. Would you like them to come in?"

I hesitated, not sure if I was ready for the inevitable. Deciding that they have been through enough hell, I responded with a quiet a yes. Upon hearing my affirmation, Dr. Stewart left the room to retrieve my visitors.

Dr. Stewart quickly returned, followed by four very familiar faces. I watched quietly as the guys entered the room. They looked at me, and all stifled gasps. After what the doctor relayed to me, I could only imagine how awful I must have looked.

"Now, I'm only giving you guys ten minutes," Dr. Stewart warned before exiting my room.

We were immersed in silence, and for a moment I thought the boys forgot how to move. But before I could say anything, the boys each grabbed a chair in the room, and scooted them closer to me. Taking their seats, Carlos, Logan, James, and Kendall eyed me warily, as if afraid I was going to break.

The silence was getting unbearable. I was on the verge of screaming when Kendall spoke up.

"My mom and Katie say that they're glad you're awake."

I smiled weakly at Kendall. I was pretty sure that was his way of saying that while they were concerned about me, Mrs. Knight was going to keep Katie away from seeing me in my current condition. Regardless, I appreciated the sentiment. After all, I wouldn't want my impressionable ten-year-old to see someone as badly off as I was.

Once again, we found ourselves in silence. I noticed the four boys glancing at each other, as if they were discussing whether or not they should bring something up. Before I could mention my observation, Carlos opened his mouth.

"Leigh, what is going on and why do the cops want to talk to you?" he asked quickly, as if afraid someone would cut him off before he finished his question. The other three glared at him, and Logan smacked him upside the head.

"That wasn't how we were going to ask," he reprimanded. Carlos smiled at Logan guiltily, before looking back at me hopefully.

I felt trapped. For months, I've been dodging their questions and lying to their faces. But now, there was no way I could get out of it. And as I studied the remains of their injuries they sustained during the scuffle with Frankie, I knew it was time to come clean. After all they went through, they deserved that much.

"Ok," I began, "I'll tell you everything."

Tension filled the air as the boys continued to watch me, silently begging for me to continue.

"But I warn you, it's not going to be pretty. You will never see me in the same way ever again."

"We can handle it," James retorted confidently, but I heard the uncertainty in his voice.

I inhaled deeply, collecting my thoughts. "I guess I should start from the beginning…my name is _not _Leigh Gibbs."

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**A/N: Boo…another cliffhanger! But I promise…you will find out EVERYTHING in chapter 20. It might take me a while to write it, because a) I start school tomorrow and b) Leigh's past is a LOT to write about, so I have to figure out how to organize it. So, please bear with me, and I'll do my best to have it up as soon as I can. **

**Anyways, review if you'd like; I'd love to hear what you're thinking right now. Thanks again for reading! **


	20. The Truth Shall Set You Free

**A/N: Hey, it's been a while! Sorry about that. Anyways, thank you guys for all the reviews! I'm truly amazed. Anyways, here's Chapter 20! Not sure how if I liked how it turned out...oh, well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

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Chapter 20: The Truth Shall Set You Free

Leigh POV

_"I guess I should start from the beginning…my name is not Leigh Gibbs."_

I eyed the boys warily as they took in what I said. Though they tried to hide, it was obvious I shocked them. I could already feel myself getting emotional. This was _not _going to be easy. I gulped, gathering some courage.

"My real name is Katherine Leigh McGrath. And…I'm the daughter of an Irish mob boss."

Kendall looked at me dubiously. "You're kidding right? Is this some kind of joke?"

I scowled at him. "I wish. Can you think of a better reason for why my fingerprints were burned off?"

"You're an emancipated minor...I assumed your parents abused you."

"I lied."

Seeing that the boys believed me, I continued my narrative.

"I've been trained in various styles of martial arts, and I can speak six different langugaes fluently. I never thought anything of it…I just assumed all kids learned what I learned. Throughout my childhood, I was exposed to drug dealings, espionage, and even murder. I was desensitized, not understanding that everything my family did was wrong. All I understood was that I had to obey my father at all my whole life, I was just a puppet for my father to use.

"I continued to live this life of obliviousness until I was thirteen. The tradition in the family was every child must go through a rite of passge to become an adult. My father got to decide how this rite was administered. And for me…I was to murder the son of one of my father's ex-"business partners" on my fourteenth birthday.

"My father had it set up. This boy and I were to meet randomly, and I was supposed to charm him into becoming my boyfriend. I was supposed to gain his trust, and when the night of my fourteenth birthday came, I was to kill him.

"Everything was going according to my father's plan. We met, and he took a shining to me. His trust was so easy to gain, and soon after we began dating. But what my father didn't expect was that I'd fall for him, too. That being with him would change my whole perspective on life.

"Eric made me want to be a better person. His view on life was so fundamentally different from my own…I was drawn to it. His innocence was addicting…never in his wildest dreams did he think his parents would be involved in something so deplorable. He thought that his family was picture-perfect.

"I tried to keep myself detached from him. But his belief in the goodness and beauty of mankind was too enticing.

"I kept the truth from him for as long as I could and when the night of my fourteenth birthday came, I tried to put aside my feelings for him. But I couldn't."

* * *

_"For the most beautiful girl in the world," Eric proclaimed as he handed me a velvety box, "Happy Birthday, Sparrow."_

_I rolled my eyes at his nickname for me, and accepted the box. Slowly, I opened the box and gasped. Gently, I pulled out the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen. On a silver chain hung a dark green gem, its hue matching the color of my eyes exactly. On the right side of the chain, I saw a small, silver sparrow. _

_I was absolutely stunned. "I…I don't know what to say." _

_Eric smiled sweetly at me. "You can tell me how awesome I am while I put the necklace on you."_

_Chuckling, I handed him the necklace. "And what? Make the head of yours bigger than it already is?" I teased._

_He merely laughed as he draped the necklace around my neck. With an accomplished grunt, he fastened the clasp. "There. Perfect."_

_I looked over to the clock, the beating of my heart ceasing as I read the numbers displayed. 11:50. My time was almost up. I had to do my father's bidding. I felt for the knife I had in my pocket. Discovering its hilt, I gripped it tightly. It was now or never._

_Slowly, I withdrew the knife from my pocket. But as soon my eyes fell on Eric, what little resolve I had wavered. Tears began to fall on my cheeks,my hands shaking._

_Eric noticed my distress. "Leigh? What's wrong?" As he got closer to me, he spotted the knife. "Why do you have a knife?"_

_My sobs became more violent, my whole body now shaking. Eric collected me into his arms, gripping me tightly. Ashamed, I roughly pushed him off._

_"No, don't!" I exclaimed, "You don't understand."_

_"Tell me," he pleaded, looking frightenend._

_I broke down. "I'm supposed to kill you!" _

_"W-what?"_

_"Your parents were former business associates of my father's for years. They recently pulled out, and my father is livid. He sent me to kill you, Eric."_

_Eric was speechless, the color in his face drained. I glanced at the clock again; it was five minutes before midnight. _

_"I have to leave," I explained quickly, "And you would do well to get out of Boston, as well. Call your parents and tell them to come home ASAP. You are no longer safe here."_

_I fled Eric's house as fast as I could, but didn't make it very far once outside. In the darkness, I felt two hands roughly grab me. I attempted to squirm out of my assailant's grip, but his hold was too strong. _

_"Hey, baby sis…where are you goimg?"_

_"Aidan," I hissed._

_"You didn't complete your task," he criticized, "Father is not pleased."_

_"Let…go!" _

_Aidan didn't respond, instead he pulled me back into Eric's house. In horror, I watched as Aidan kicked down Eric's door. Eric and his parents lived in a relatively small house, so it didn't take long for my brother to find him. _

_"Eric, run!" I cried._

_But it was too late. Before the words fully left my mouth, Aidan pulled out his gun, and shot Eric dead in his tracks. With all the strength I could muster, I managed to break free from my brother's grasp. I flung myself over to Eric, and discovered him already dead. _

_My heart rate accelerated, the adrenaline pulsing through my veins. My body went into autopilot, and I ran out of the house._

_I heard my brother's voice in the distance call out to me. "You can run, little sister…but you can't hide. We're family! You need us!"_

_**

* * *

**_I was met with a stunned silence. Several minutes passed before Carlos spoke up, his voice shaky.

"…It was your family who severed your car brakes?"

I laughed mirthlessly. "If only it were that simple. No, it wasn't my family who tried to kill me. It was Eric's."

"What?" James exclaimed.

I sighed. "You see…people who are involved with my father aren't exactly law-abiding citizens. Through the years as my father's partners, Eric's parents picked up on a lot of what we do. So, obviously, their natural reaction to their son's death was to get revenge. Lex talionis."

"So, let me get this straight…for two years you've been running away from both your family _and _your boyfriend's family?" Kendall asked, his eyes wide with the realization.

I nodded.

"What I don't understand," Logan began, "is why did they break into your apartment?"

"Now _that _was my brother's doing. He did it to get my attention so he could warn me about Eric's family."

The boys looked incredibly confused. I gave them a small, sympathetic smile.

"As dysfunctional as mob families are, they are fiercely loyal to all its members No matter what."

Logan picked up on my hidden meaning. "So it was _your _family who helped us back at the warehouse."

"Yes. They were the only people I could turn to. They provided me the explosives, the remote, and even escorts for you guys."

"Woah," Carlos commented, awestruck.

We were once again engulfed in silence. Throughout this whole discussion, I had been holding back my tears, hoping I'd calm down.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, "You guys could have died because of me. I had no right to be so selfish." The guilt pushed me over the top, and I began to weep. I heard the sound of chairs moving, and felt arms gently wrapped around me. I felt another three pairs of arms follow in suit. I looked back up at the boys, and I could see concern and forgiveness in their eyes.

"It's not your fault, Leigh," Kendall soothed. The boys bobbed their heads in agreement.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing Dr. Stewart. "Boys, you're time is up."

"We'll be back soon," Logan promised before the four of them left my room.

Settling into the bed, I closed my eyes, trying to not think about the consequences of accepting my family's help. I had almost drifted to sleep when the door creaked open.

Turning my head, I looked to see who it was. My eyes widened as I realized who it was.

* * *

**A/N: I hope this chapter was terribly confusing. Or dumb. I haven't slept in about three days, and school is already kicking my butt…so I apologize if this wasn't a great chapter. There was just so much to write, and it was hard to figure out how to do it. Anyways, I hoped you liked it and I'll try to update soon. There are only two more chapters left, so we're almost done! Let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	21. Need You Now

**A/N: Wow, I'm glad everyone took the big news well! I was afraid it wouldn't make any sense hahaha. ****Hajakuru Luver93, I never did see that show, so I didn't (purposely) get the idea from it. But it sounds like my kind of show! Too bad it was cancelled. Oh, and I should point out that Eric was the one who gave her the camera. Thanks for asking, The Monster That Lives Under the Bed. Sorry I didn't include that in the last chapter. There was just soo much information, it was hard to keep track!**

**Anyways, you guys aren't here for the ridiculously long Author's Note. So I'll just shut up now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own BTR**

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Chapter 21: Need You Now

James POV

It was hard, looking at her in that white bed surrounded by four equally white walls. It just reminded me of how much I hated hospitals. As I gazed into her room from the noise-filled hallway, my mind drifted back to the event that had led me back here. I was tugged back to reality by a gentle and familiar voice that called out my name.

"James?" I heard Leigh ask. My heart began to pound in my chest, in both anticipation and fear of what I was about to say.

"Hey, L-Katherine." A ghost of a smile appeared on Leigh's face.

"Call me Leigh." Her eyebrows furrowed, "Why'd you come back? Is everything ok?"

"Um…sort of." Apprehensively, I moved inside her room, sitting down on the side of her bed. She looked up at me, her eyes bright with confusion. I inhaled, hoping to gain courage from the oxygen that entered my body. With no previous experience to draw on, I decided to just jump in.

"I've been thinking lately."

She cocked her head. "About what?"

"Just…a lot of things. Mostly about you. When I first met you, how you became a part of the gang. Our "fake date." But most of all, I've been thinking about the day you disappeared."

I paused, gauging her reaction. If she knew where I was going, she hid it well. All I saw in her face was curiousity and interest. Emphatically, I began to speak once more.

"I literally felt sick when you disappeared. We all did. I know you don't realize it, but we all really care about you. Which is why we went looking for you the night we were kidnapped. But even before that happened, I had an epiphany. I…I realized that I liked you. Like…_like _you, like you."

I felt my face grow warm and red and my stomach began to do flip-flops as I searched her face, hoping to find some sort of reaction. But her mask held strong and I saw no indication of any emotion. Feeling foolish and regretting that I just told her how I felt, I began to apologize profusely, tripping over my words in my desire to ease my humiliation.

"I'm sorry! Look, it's just a stilly little crush! It'll go away, so please just don't hate m—"

I was cut off by a pair of lips pressing themselves onto mine. In shock, I reciprocated. It was a chaste kiss, but full of sincerity. She broke the kiss, and I looked at her wide-eyed. My heart hammered into my ribcage once more as I took in her beautiful, forest green eyes. A smile appeared on her face as she said the words I've been dreaming of hearing.

"I like you, too, James."

I felt a goofy grin begin to spread across my face as the knot in my stomach began to ease and the air returned to my lungs. Happily, I leaned in and engulfed her in a gentle hug. As we embraced each other, a single thought crossed my mind.

Maybe hospitals weren't so bad, after all.

* * *

**A/N: So yeah, I'm not a very romantic person, so if this sucked, I apologize. And I hope everyone is cool with her being with James. I actually wanted her to be with Logan, but it just didn't feel right. So again, apologies if anyone is disappointed. There's only one more chapter left! Who's excited? Let me know what you're thinking. Thanks again for reading! You all are amazing. **


	22. We'll Be a Dream

**A/N: IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM! Please read after you finish reading this chapter! Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Chapter 22: We'll be A Dream

James POV

These past three weeks have been the greatest weeks of my life. Ever since I confessed my feelings for Leigh, I have visited her everyday by myself. None of the others really noticed, which was fine with us.

With each passing day, I found myself falling more and more for this girl. Leigh was becoming more and more like the Leigh I went on the fake date with. I was enamored.

Today was supposed to be a great day. Leigh was supposed to be released from the hospital this morning. I was especially excited because Leigh and I decided it would be today that we told the others about "us." I've never liked keeping things from my best friends, so I was more than ready to tell them.

But unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan.

* * *

_"I can't believe Li-Li's coming home today!" Carlos squealed, pieces of the pancake he was currently eating flying out of his mouth._

_Kendall laughed. "Dude, chew with your mouth closed. But you know she still has a long road ahead of her, right?"_

_Logan nodded in agreement. "She's still recovering, and will have to go to physical therapy for a long time. And, on top of all that, the police still have to investigate the explosion. She's going to have to tell them about her involvement with the mob, and who knows what they might do?"_

_I froze. "You're not saying they'd like arrest her or something?"_

_"I don't know," Logan replied seriously, his expression troubled. _

_Before any of us could say anything else, the phone rang. Mama Knight, who was taking care of a sick Katie in her bedroom, emerged from the room and answered the phone._

_"Knight residence."_

_We heard a gasp and the sound of something falling onto the kitchen tile. I was instantly reminded of another phone call we received not too long ago. I felt blood pound into my ears as a feeling of uneasiness blanketed me. _

_The others looked just as alarmed, as we listened to Mama Knight assure whoever was on the phone that we'd get there as soon as possible. After hanging up, she entered the room we were sitting in, her face ashen._

_"That was the hospital," she began, her eyes welling up with unshed tears, "they called because…Leigh's gone missing."_

* * *

Mama Knight had to stay home with Katie, so it was just the four of us standing in what used to be Leigh's hospital room, with a frantic nurse explaining what happened.

"I-I was her morning nurse, so it was my first time to check up on her. I-I came in to s-s-s-see how she was d-doing, and she was j-j-just gone."

"This is a hospital! How could she just disappear?" Logan roared. Never in my life have I seen Logan so upset. In the back of my mind, I almost felt kind of bad for the nurse he was yelling at.

Numbly, I made my way to the bed she should've been sleeping in, and sat down on it. I absentmindedly ran my hands over the sheets, hoping that this was just some awful nightmare. My right fingers curled around something. Discreetly, I brought the unknown item closer and discovered it was the necklace Eric had given her. I didn't know what to make of this, whether Leigh left it behind on purpose or not. Regardless, I pocketed the piece of jewelry, the reality of the situation hitting me like a ton of bricks.

"James?" I heard Kendall ask, as I heard footsteps approach me. It took me a minute to realize I was gasping for air.

"He's hyperventilating!" Logan exclaimed.

I heard the scuffling of footsteps before a paper bag was shoved into my face. Taking it, I shoved my face into it, and tried to regulate my breathing. After a few minutes, I was successful. Removing the paper bag from my face, I looked up into a pair of warm, brown eyes. It took me a minute to realize they belonged to a woman I had never seen before. As if reading my thoughts the woman introduced herself to us.

"I'm Kat Cortez...I run this hospital. I'm very sorry about your friend, and I promise we will get to the bottom of this."

"What are you going to do?" Carlos inquired meekly.

"We're going to review the security footage, and follow whatever leads we find," a familiar, gruff voice answered. I looked over at the doorway to discover Detective Butler standing there.

"Detective Butler," Kat greeted, "Now that you're here, we can review the tapes."

The detective nodded, and stepped aside to allow Kat to show him the way. With a determined air, the woman made her way out of the hospital room. I stood up, and my friends and I moved toward the door. Detective Butler held out his hand.

"Oh, no…you're not coming."

"What?" Logan cried, "We want to help!"

"Look, boys…obviously everything that's happened since Leigh arrived in LA is connected. That includes your kidnapping. We know next to nothing, and bringing you all into the case blindly could lead to trouble. So, if you really want to help, you will go home and wait for us to call you with our findings."

"But—" Carlos started to argue, but was cut off by Kendall.

"He's right," Kendall stated dejectedly, "There isn't much we can do."

"We will call you as soon as we find anything," Detective Bulter promised. With a curt nod in our direction, the detective left.

**

* * *

**"We have to tell the police what we know!" Carlos demanded for the umpteenth time. "It might help them find Leigh."

"Carlos," Logan explained once again, "We're talking about the Irish _mob_ here. This is some serious business and if we tell the wrong person, we or Leigh could wind up _dead_. It's much too risky."

"But it just _had _to be her family who took her! Remember, she said she'd have to pay a price for asking them to help her? This has to be it. Who knows what they're doing to her!"

"Don't you remember what else she said?" I interjected, "Mob families are extremely loyal to their family members. They won't hurt her."

A part of me totally agreed with Carlos, but after listening to him and Logan argue about it for the past four hours, I knew Logan's argument was the most logical.

"So we're just gonna abandon her, then?" Carlos spat, disgusted by the notion.

"The police will find a lead," Kendall responded, assuming the role of fearless leader, "The security footage had to have captured something helpful. And I agree, we can't tell anyone what we know. I know…it sucks. But Leigh risked her life to save us once. We can't be reckless."

With heavy hearts, the four of us agreed to play the waiting game. Hopefully, our patience will pay off.

* * *

_RING….RING_

Franticially, I answered my cell phone. "Hello?"

"Yes, Mr. Diamond? It's Detective Butler."

I remained silent, waiting for him to continue. Picking up on my cue, he resumed.

"We need you and the other boys to come back to the hospital."

"We'll be there as soon as we can," I promised before hanging up on the detective.

Logan, who was sitting next to me, jumped up from his seat and rounded the other two guys. Silently, the four of us made our way to the hospital, hoping for some good news.

* * *

"So, we've reviewed the tape," Detective Butler began, "And we might have found a few things."

The detective pressed a button on the remote he was holding, and we turned our attention to the monitor. It took me a moment to register that we were looking at one of the hallways in the hospital, most likely the hallway that Leigh's room was on. The screen remained still, save a couple of nurses who were completing their rounds. It wasn't until the clock on the bottom of the screen read midnight that something happened.

I didn't even realize it was happening until it happened. We spotted a nurse going into one of the rooms, which seemed normal enough. But then, another figure entered the room as well. At first, I didn't think much of it, I just figured something happened to the patient and the nurse needed help. Ten minutes later, the door to that room opened, revealing a sight that made me want to vomit. Three figures emerged from the room, the one in the middle feebly flailing. The two other figures moved down the corridor quickly, not even noticing that their victim was moving.

Detective Butler pressed another button, and we found ourselves looking at footage from the hospital garage. We saw the same three figures walking in the garage, but this time the middle one had stopped moving. I watched in horror as they opened the passenger side door of an unmarked jeep and placed the middle figure inside. The remaining two opened the back doors of the car and sat down. The car roared to life and quickly left the parking garage.

I looked over at my friends, noticing that they too were greatly affected by what we had just seen. I could only imagine how I must've looked…I felt like I was going to pass out after what I saw.

Detective Butler turned the monitor off and looked at us warily. "Ms. Cortez is currently looking into who was Leigh's nurse at that hour. Hopefully from there we'll find a trail. But the reason why I asked you four to come back down again is to ask you if you know something. Because if you do, I highly recommend you tell me."

The four of us turned to look at each other, not sure how best to proceed. We could potentially put Leigh in even more danger if we told the truth. If her family somehow discovered she ratted them out…well, I shudder to think what they might do to her.

"Well?" Detective Butler prompted.

I exchanged glances with Kendall. He gave me a small smile before answering the detective.

"We don't know anything." I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces in response to his lie. We knew everything. In fact, I'd go so far as to say we were the key to this case. But the risk was far too great.

Detective Butler eyed each of us expectantly, hoping it would scare us to change our story. Seeing that his tactic had failed, the detective sighed as he pulled something out of his pocket.

"My card," he explained, handing it to Kendall, "Call me if you remember something."

We all nodded, but knew we'd never call. Detective Butler dismissed us, and we silently made our way back to the Palm Woods, knowing that with each step we took, we distanced ourselves further and further away from ever seeing Leigh again.

**

* * *

**

Leigh POV

"Welcome back, baby sister," Aidan said. I could practically hear the grin that was on his face.

I ignored him as he continued to lead me down the hallway. Even though I had never been in this place before, I knew exactly where he was taking me. We eventually found ourselves standing in front of an elaborate oak door. Aidan knocked on it three times, and the door opened. Pushing me inside, I found myself looking into the green eyes I had known all my life.

"Father."

"_Ma mhuirnín_, you have returned at long last," he replied, enveloping me in a tight hug. After a couple of minutes, he pulled away, staring at me with adoration in his eyes.

I concealed my anger, knowing that he could flip at any given moment and punish me for disrespecting him. Instead, I remained silent, keeping my expression as stony as possible.

"It's been a long two years," he continued, "But we can all finally go home."

I felt my heart drop to my toes, knowing that this was the end. The price has been paid in full, and it was costly. My freedom, my independence…it was all gone now. And most importantly…_James_ was gone. He and the others would be nothing more than a wonderful memory that would dim with time.

I could only hope that I, too, would become a faded memory for them.

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**A/N: So…do you guys want a sequel? It's completely up to you. If you do want a sequel, send me some ideas because quite frankly I have none. **

**I realize it's a bit choppy, but I sort of did for a reason...to reflect the chaoticness of the situation. Just so you know hahaha.**

**Oh, and translation time: ma mhuirnín means "my darling" or "sweetheart." At least, according to this website I found. lol**

**Thank you so much for reading this story! This was my first story EVER and I can't believe I actually finished it. You guys have been absolutely amazing, and all the feedback has been incredible. Love you all! **


	23. Sequel!

**Hey guys! I just wanted to let you know that there will be a sequel to Big Time Mystery. It's going to be called Big Time Reunion (if you have a better name, please let me know!) **

**So yeah, I'm going to post a chapter of it today, but it'll be for OC applications. So look out for it! It'll probably be up by the time you see this note. Thanks again for reading and supporting this story! You guys are amazing!**

**Love Abby! **


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